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)

Deserts are one of the most common landscapes that can be seen around the whole globe.There are varioos kinds of deserts found across the globe.The digram given here deals with formation of one such types of desert known as "The rain shadow desert".

The digram illustrate how the mountains next to a sea leads to turn the area near by into a rain shadow deserts.Briefly, the process start from the sea where the hot raised air with water content tends to move toward land as per breeze cycle.the wind reaches the land where it confront the mountain. The structure of the mountain pushes wind to rise and drop the temperature and turn them into the cloud.

Moreover, These clouds then rise more and soon hitted by mount and cause the rain on the sea side of land while prevent the the land back side of mountain from getting any water. This cycle in long go turns the land on the back sind of mountain into a desert and this type of desert formation known as rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the subject and describe the main sequence: moist air moves from the sea, is forced upwards by the mountains, cools, forms clouds and produces rain before dry air reaches the inland area. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of how the rain-shadow desert forms. However, some stages are less fully or clearly explained. For example, the description that clouds “rise more and soon hitted by mount” does not clearly convey that rain falls on the windward side, while the dry air crosses the mountain and reaches the leeward inland area. A clearer overview contrasting the wet windward side with the dry leeward side would strengthen the summary. Avoid adding unsupported details such as “hot” air or a “breeze cycle,” and report the diagram’s stages more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has an overall progression from the sea towards the inland desert, and the second paragraph continues the process after clouds form. Linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “This cycle” help connect the stages. However, the organisation is not consistently clear: the first paragraph repeats general background about deserts, and the process itself is compressed into long sentences, making some relationships difficult to follow. The reference in “the land back side” is also unclear, and “These clouds then rise more” does not make the sequence easy to track. Use a concise overview followed by stages in chronological order, with clear references to the windward and leeward sides. More precise transitions would make the progression smoother rather than relying on broad connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “formation,” “water content,” “mountain,” “cloud,” and “rain shadow desert,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range and precision are limited, and several word choices or collocations make the explanation awkward: “hot raised air,” “drop the temperature,” and “hitted by mount” do not express the process naturally. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “varioos,” “digram,” and “sind,” which reduce the accuracy of the vocabulary. Aim to use standard geographical terms consistently, such as “moist air,” “rises,” “cools,” “precipitation,” and “leeward side.” Check spelling and choose verbs that describe each stage precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “the area near by into a rain shadow deserts” and a sequence joined with “where.” However, control is uneven, and errors sometimes make the process hard to interpret. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “The digram illustrate” and “mountains … leads,” incorrect verb forms in “the process start” and “soon hitted,” and article or number problems in “one such types of desert.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation also need attention: there is no space after “globe.” and “cycle.”, and the final sentence lacks a clear verb structure. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions and check agreement, articles, plurals, and sentence boundaries when editing.

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