Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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 illustrate the inforamtion about the formation of rain shadow deserts.

It describe the severals steps from start to end of the formation. There are total seven steps involved in the formation. These are winds approach coast, Winds pushed upwards, Moist air rises and cools, Clouds form, Rain falls, Dry air continues over mounatin, Dry winds reach inland areas.

Firslty, Winds of the sea approach the coast of the mountain. Then mountain cost pushed winds upward and that air is starting moisturing when they reached to windward side of the mountain. After that clouds are formed and rain falls is started at the top of mountain. The dry air continues over the mountain and reached to leeward side of the mountain. Then the dry winds reach inland areas and make the formation of rain shadow desert. In this all process the winds cover thousands of kilometers to form rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and report its main sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. You also include the key outcome: the rain-shadow desert forms inland beyond the mountains. However, the overview is mostly a list of stages rather than a clear summary of the process’s central cause-and-effect pattern. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the air does not become moist on the windward side; moist air rises and cools there, clouds form, and rain falls before the remaining dry air crosses the mountain. The reference to winds covering thousands of kilometres is shown as a horizontal scale, not as a stated distance travelled by the winds. Clarifying these points would make the account more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and stage list are followed by a paragraph describing the sequence. Connectors such as “Firstly,” “Then,” “After that,” and “Then” help the reader follow the process. However, the opening repeats the stages in a list before explaining them, and the progression is therefore somewhat mechanical. Some links between stages are unclear, particularly “that air is starting moisturing when they reached to windward side,” which makes the relationship between rising air, cooling, and cloud formation difficult to follow. Organising the explanation into a concise overview and a clearly sequenced account, while using references such as “this moist air” and “the remaining dry air,” would improve flow and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” and “inland areas,” so the reader can recognise the main features. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision. For example, “mountain cost pushed winds upward” is not a natural way to describe the mountain forcing air upwards, while “starting moisturing” does not clearly express the process. There are also spelling errors such as “inforamtion,” “Firslty,” and “mounatin.” Aim for accurate process verbs and standard spelling, and avoid repeating “mountain” and “winds” where a clear reference such as “the slope” or “the air” would work.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer sequences using “Then” and “After that,” but the range is limited and errors occur in many sentence patterns. Subject–verb agreement is incorrect in “The diagram illustrate” and “It describe”; articles and plurals are also problematic in “There are total seven steps.” Verb forms and sentence construction make parts difficult to interpret, as in “that air is starting moisturing when they reached” and “rain falls is started.” The final sentence also has an unclear grammatical relationship between the process and the distance. Practise forming accurate present-simple descriptions of processes, for example, “The mountain forces the moist air upwards,” and check agreement, articles, and verb forms in each sentence.

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