Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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 7 stages how Dry wind reach to the rain shadow desert.

Overall, the stages contain how Sea wind commute thousand of kilometers all the way over mountain to reach rain-shadow desert as dry winds.

Initial stage start form the sea coast. wind apporch to the coast and pushed upwards by the windward side of the mountain.The moist air risees and cools before turning the wind into could form.

In the next stage Rain falls from the cloud and flow dry air to the oposite direction of the mountain beside the leeward side. finally after thousand kilometer of dry air finally reach the inland area which known as rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as a sequence and include several key stages: winds approach the coast, rise on the windward side, cool, produce clouds and rain, and continue towards the inland desert. However, the account is only partial: the overview is vague, and the final stages are compressed, so the movement from rain-bearing air to dry winds reaching the leeward inland area is not clearly explained. The phrase “flow dry air” also makes the process difficult to interpret. The response is 113 words, below the required 150, which limits the detail available. To strengthen the report, give a precise overview of the windward/leeward contrast and explain each stage accurately, including that rain falls on the windward side before dry air crosses the mountains.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, with “Overall,” “Initial stage,” “In the next stage,” and “finally” guiding the reader through the process. The paragraphing also separates the overview from the stages. However, progression is not consistently clear: the first paragraph moves from the sea to cloud formation, while the second combines rainfall, the air crossing the mountain, and the desert destination in a confusing sentence. “Finally” is repeated, and some links between stages are missing or unclear. Organise the description into a clear overview followed by a step-by-step account, using linking phrases such as “As a result” and “After crossing the mountain” only where they accurately show cause or sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps identify the main features. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, spelling, and collocation errors make parts of the account difficult to understand, such as “wind commute,” “turning the wind into could form,” and “flow dry air.” These are lexical issues rather than grammatical ones. Aim for precise process language and check spelling carefully; for example, describe winds as “move across” or “travel over” the mountains, and say that clouds “form” and rain “falls.” This will make the stages clearer without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect stages in longer sentences, for example with “before” and “after,” but the range of sentence structures is limited and these attempts are often faulty. Errors in verb forms and sentence construction appear in “Initial stage start form the sea coast” and “the moist air risees and cools”; articles and agreement are also missing in “which known as rain-shadow desert.” Punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, including the lower-case “wind” after a full stop. These errors sometimes make the sequence hard to follow. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with clauses such as “As the moist air rises, it cools and clouds form.”

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