Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

This diagram illustrates the formation of a distinct type of desert, callled as a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the whole process is consist of seven different phases, starting from the sea, where the winds come from then ended up to the rain-shadow desert which occur thousands of kilometer of under the mountains.

Initially, the winds approach the coast above the sea, then the winds pushed upwards toward the mountains further the moisture from the atmosphere emerge with the wind to convert it into moist and cold air which rises toward the sky and form clouds above the windward side of the mountains.

Next on the top of the hills rain occurs which enable dry air to move continuously over the mountains, the leeward side is exactly opposite to the windward side of the hills. Finally, the arid winds reach to the inland area beneath where these rain-shadow desest formed, arroud thousands of kilometres under the mountains.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers the main sequence and gives an overall account, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, so the process is recognisable. It also identifies cloud formation and rainfall on the mountain’s windward side, followed by dry air crossing the leeward side. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the desert is described as being “under the mountains,” whereas it lies inland beyond the leeward side, and “thousands of kilometres” refers to the horizontal scale rather than a precise location beneath the mountains. The explanation of how moist air rises and cools is also muddled. To strengthen the report, describe the stages more precisely and make the overall contrast between the rainy windward side and arid inland area clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall progression, supported by sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Next,” and “Finally.” The stages are presented in the correct general order, and the opening overview helps orient the reader. However, the writing is arranged as one long paragraph, which makes the stages less easy to follow. Some links between ideas are awkward or unclear, particularly “further the moisture from the atmosphere emerge with the wind,” and the sentence about the leeward side interrupts the explanation of rainfall and dry air. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and process details, and connect each stage directly to the next. Clearer referencing would also help readers track the air as it changes from moist to dry.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist,” “arid,” and “inland,” showing an adequate range for describing the diagram. Some less common terms are attempted, but several choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “distinct type,” “rain occurs,” and “desest.” There are also spelling errors in “callled” and “arroud,” and “under the mountains” does not accurately express the desert’s inland position. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the general process, but they reduce precision. Aim for standard collocations and accurate spelling, and use the diagram’s labels where they express the meaning most clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and complex sentences, including a sequence joined with “then” and a relative clause in “where these rain-shadow desest formed.” However, control is uneven, and several errors make parts of the process difficult to interpret. For example, “the whole process is consist of” has an incorrect verb construction, while “the winds pushed upwards” lacks the auxiliary needed for the passive form. In “which rises toward the sky and form clouds,” the verbs do not agree, and the final clause is missing a clear verb structure. Work on passive forms, subject–verb agreement, and complete clause construction. Shorter, accurately controlled sentences would make the sequence clearer while you continue practising complex structures.

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