Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-17

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 figure illustrate the natural process by which a specific type of arid environment, know as a rain-shadow desert, is developed.

Overall, this process consists of several stages. Initially, it started with moist air from sea towards the coast and ending with the formation of an dry inland. It is clear that the mountain acts as a barrier which blocks the direct wind from sea. Moreover, it converts the moist into dry air.

The wind approaches the cost from sea and carries the moist air upwards to mountain top. Furthuremore, the rised moist air temperature falls down due to sea level and it travells windward direction and forms clouds. finally, it reaches at the peak of mountain and the clouds starts deform and starts raining on the mountain.

We can see that the dry air followed downward direction of mountain. However, the dry wind approches the land and this makes the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a process and give a relevant overview: the mountain blocks moist sea air, leading to dry conditions inland. You also report the main sequence from approaching winds to rainfall and the eventual desert, so the response addresses the task. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately described. For example, “the rised moist air temperature falls down due to sea level” does not clearly explain that air rises, cools, and forms clouds, while “clouds starts deform” obscures the rainfall stage. The account also gives limited detail about the windward and leeward sides and how dry air crosses the mountain. Make each stage precise and explain the cause-and-effect relationship more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a description of the process in sequence. The progression from sea and coast to mountain and inland desert is generally easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Moreover,” and “However” help signal relationships, although some are used mechanically or do not express the relationship accurately; “However” does not establish a clear contrast in the final paragraph. The sequence also becomes harder to track in the long sentence beginning “Furthuremore,” where several stages are compressed together. Use clearer stage-by-stage sentences and refer consistently to the windward and leeward sides to strengthen progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “arid environment,” “barrier,” “moist air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” showing an attempt to describe the diagram with topic-specific language. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “dry inland,” “temperature falls down,” and “clouds starts deform.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “cost,” “Furthuremore,” “rised,” and “travells.” These sometimes make the process difficult to interpret. Aim for precise, natural combinations such as “air cools,” “clouds form,” and “rain falls,” and check spelling carefully. This would make your vocabulary more reliable while retaining the useful technical terms you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence with “which blocks” and the explanation beginning “Moreover, it converts…”. However, grammatical errors occur across the response and sometimes make relationships unclear. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “The figure illustrate” and “the clouds starts,” article use in “an dry inland,” and verb-form problems in “the rised moist air temperature falls down.” The sentence beginning “Furthuremore” also combines several actions without a clear grammatical structure. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes, checking subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries. Clearer control of these patterns will help your ideas come across more easily.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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