Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The formation of rain-shadow deserts

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The diagram illustrates that how one type of desert, known as rain-shadow desert, is formed.

The formation of rain-shadow desert include seven steps. It began from the wind approach coast from sea and it terminate at when dry wind reach inland areas and form rain-shadow desert.

It initiate when the winds from sea approach the coast. Next the winds pushed upward the mountains. As the winds pushed upward the moist and humid air rises and cools down. Then the next step is clouds foemation. Once the clouds is formed then rain falls on the mountains. In sixth step the dry air continues over the mountains. In next step the dry winds reach inland areas and start blowing there. All this process continue from windward side of mountains and end at leeward side of mountains. At last when dry winds reach the inland areas there they form rain-shadow desert. In this way rain-shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a sequence and include its main stages: winds approach the coast, rise over the mountains, cool, form clouds, produce rain, and continue inland as dry air. This gives the reader a generally relevant account. However, the overview is not sufficiently clear about the key cause-and-effect pattern: moisture is lost on the windward side, leaving dry winds to descend or continue over the leeward side and create a desert inland. The ending repeats that dry winds form the desert rather than explaining the contrast between the two sides. Some details are also imprecise, such as saying the winds “start blowing there.” State the overall transformation clearly, then describe the stages accurately and without repetition.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the diagram’s numbered sequence, and words such as “Next,” “Then,” and “In sixth step” help signal the order. The reader can broadly follow the process from the coast to the inland desert. However, the organisation is repetitive: the opening describes the sequence, and the final sentences restate that dry winds form the desert. Several links are awkward or unclear, including “It began from the wind approach coast” and “All this process continue from windward side … and end at leeward side.” Use a clearer overview followed by a single, orderly account of the stages. More precise referencing and fewer repeated transitions would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist,” “rises,” “cools,” “clouds,” “rain,” “dry winds,” and “windward” and “leeward.” These terms show awareness of the diagram’s subject. However, the range is limited and some word choices or forms are inaccurate, which makes parts of the description less natural: “clouds foemation,” “winds pushed upward the mountains,” and “dry wind reach inland areas.” “Humid” also repeats the idea already conveyed by “moist.” Aim for accurate process collocations and vary the verbs used to describe movement and change. For example, describe air as being forced up the mountain, cooling and condensing, before dry air moves inland.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer clauses, for example, “Once the clouds is formed then rain falls on the mountains.” However, errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction, sometimes making the relationships between stages difficult to understand. Examples include “The formation … include seven steps,” “It began from the wind approach coast,” and “All this process continue.” The sentence beginning “As the winds pushed upward” also has an unclear subject relationship. Practise keeping the process in the present simple and checking subject–verb agreement, such as “the process includes” and “the winds reach.” Build longer sentences around clear connectors, and check articles and plural forms before finishing.

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