Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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 given illustration depicts how rain-shadow deserts are formed over the course of time. It can be understood in 7 steps. Intially the winds approachs the sea coast from where these winds are directed upwards known as windward side with the force. During this process the formation of moist air rises and gradutally cools down to form clouds and results to rain fall on mountain. Once the rain water settles on the top of the mountain the dry windblow continues to move over the mountain tip and mobile towards Leeward side making them reach at inland areas to form rain-shadow desert. We can also see the strech of the mountain is in thousands of kilometres. The formation can only been seen where the mountains are located close to beach. In this procedure height of the mountain also plays a crucial role in how the formation of rain-shadow desert would take place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main sequence: coastal winds rise, moisture cools and forms clouds, rain falls over the mountains, and drier air continues inland to create a rain-shadow desert. This gives the reader a relevant account of the process. However, the stages are compressed into one long description, so some key relationships are unclear—for example, the windward and leeward sides are named but not clearly contrasted. The final claims that mountains must be close to the beach and that their height plays a crucial role are not established by the diagram. Focus on the information shown, and make the overall pattern explicit: moisture is lost on the windward side, leaving dry air to descend or travel across the leeward side toward inland areas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the diagram’s general order, using markers such as “Initially,” “During this process,” and “Once” to signal stages. This provides some organisation, and the reader can broadly follow the movement from coast to inland desert. However, nearly all the information is packed into one extended paragraph and several stages are joined together, making the progression difficult to track. The reference in “from where these winds” is also unclear, while “this procedure” introduces an additional claim rather than neatly concluding the process. Separate the account into a brief overview and a clearly sequenced explanation, using one sentence for each major stage and precise references to the windward and leeward sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain,” “mountain,” and “rain-shadow desert,” and you attempt more specific terms such as “windward” and “leeward.” This gives the response a basic range suited to the diagram. However, several word choices or combinations are inaccurate or awkward, including “formation of moist air rises,” “results to rain fall,” and “dry windblow.” Spelling errors such as “Intially,” “gradutally,” and “strech” also reduce precision. Choose standard process language and collocations—for example, say that moist air rises and cools, clouds form, and precipitation falls on the windward side. Avoid adding terms such as “mobile” when a simple verb like “moves” is clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect stages with subordinate clauses and time expressions, as in “Once the rain water settles on the top of the mountain…” and “where the mountains are located close to beach.” However, the response relies heavily on a few long sentences, and errors in verb forms and agreement make parts difficult to interpret. Examples include “the winds approachs,” “these winds are directed upwards … with the force,” and “the dry windblow continues to move.” The construction “the formation … rises” also gives the wrong grammatical subject for the action. Use shorter, controlled sentences and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and clause structure. For instance: “Moist air rises over the windward slope and cools, forming clouds.”

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