Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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 the several stages that how the formation of Rain Shadow Desert occurs.

Overall, first winds approach coast from sea side and hit mountain which push it upward and at end the dry wind reach inland areas.

Firstly, winds approach from sea side to coast. After that the winds are pushed upwards by mountain. The winds which are pushed upward are convered to moist and cools air. While that air is turned in clouds. However when the clouds reach at top of mountain they release water which is called rain.

Furthermore, the water which come downward from clouds are gone on to sea again. But the air which was in clouds goes to the other side of mountain. In addition the the dry air continues over the mountain. In end the dry winds reach in land area. So this procces is known as Rain Shadow Desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a sequence and include its main stages: winds arrive from the sea, rise over the mountain, produce clouds and rain, and continue inland as dry winds. This gives the reader a relevant account, but some details are unclear or inaccurate. In particular, the diagram shows moisture falling as rain on the windward side; it does not show the water returning to the sea or air being “in clouds.” The overview also does not clearly explain that this loss of moisture creates a rain-shadow desert on the leeward side. The response is two words below the required minimum. To strengthen the summary, state the cause-and-effect relationship clearly and describe the desert’s inland location accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable sequence, with “Firstly,” “After that,” and “Furthermore” guiding the reader through the stages. The opening overview also helps establish the process before the details. However, progression becomes less clear when the account shifts to “the water which come downward from clouds are gone on to sea again,” a step not shown in the diagram, and then repeats that dry air continues over the mountain. Some linking words are mechanical or do not express the relationship precisely, such as “However” before the rain stage and “But” before the air’s movement. Group the stages into a clear beginning, middle, and outcome, and use links that show sequence or cause and effect.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “winds,” “coast,” “mountain,” “clouds,” “rain,” and “dry air,” so the topic is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “moist” and “inland areas.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate: “convered to moist and cools air” does not clearly express the change, while “in land area” and “Rain Shadow Desert” are awkward or inconsistent. Spelling errors such as “procces” and “convered” also reduce precision. Learn accurate collocations for describing processes, for example, “moist air rises,” “condenses,” and “rain falls,” and use the standard term “rain-shadow desert” consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including relative clauses such as “The winds which are pushed upward…” and a time clause beginning “when the clouds reach…”. However, errors are frequent, and some sentences are difficult to follow. For example, “the formation … occurs” is preceded by the faulty structure “the several stages that how,” and “the water which come downward … are gone” has problems with agreement and verb construction. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “hit mountain” and “However when the clouds reach at top of mountain they release water.” Practise building accurate subject–verb patterns and checking agreement, articles, and punctuation before adding longer clauses.

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