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)

This diagram illustrates the formation of rain-shadow deserts .

Overall,this natural diagram is linear and has seven steps it goes from the approachal of winds from coast till the dry of winds and reaching inland areas.

Firstly , the process began in the coast side , windscomes froms the sea and approch coast then pushed upwords to the mountains the moreit goes to the toope the more air becomesmoisture and cold once it reach the windward side many clouds bean to form. In the next stage when clouds reach the top of the mountains which is covered by snow it start pooring. Meanwhile the dry air continues over the mountains to the leeward side and travels until dry air transforms into dry winds and reach inland areas. Finally the process ends in the inland area and continue to the desert and this is how rain-shadow desert is formed. During thhis process winds travel thousands of kilometres to go from the coast and reach the inland side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and your overview identifies the process as having seven stages. You also include the key contrast between the rainy windward side and the dry leeward side, so the response is relevant and the process is generally understandable. Some details, however, are unclear or not supported by the diagram: it does not show the mountain being covered by snow, and “the more air becomes moisture” does not accurately explain that moist air rises and cools. The final point about winds travelling thousands of kilometres is included, but could be linked more clearly to the diagram’s scale. Report each stage precisely and avoid adding visual details that are not shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable overall progression: an introduction, a brief overview, and a chronological account using “Firstly,” “In the next stage,” “Meanwhile,” and “Finally.” This makes the process reasonably easy to follow and shows more than simple listing. However, the account is presented as one long body paragraph, and several stages are crowded into lengthy sentences, making the sequence less clear than it could be. Some links are also imprecise: “Meanwhile” does not clearly signal the transition from rainfall to the dry air’s movement, while “Finally” is followed by another sentence that restates the ending. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and stages, and connect each stage with clear, accurate transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “dry winds,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. However, the range and control are limited, with noticeable spelling errors and several inaccurate or unnatural expressions. Examples include “approachal of winds,” “pooring,” and “the more air becomes moisture”; these make parts of the description difficult to interpret. “The coast side” and “the dry of winds” are also imprecise choices for describing the stages. Build a reliable set of process verbs and collocations, such as “rise,” “cool,” “condense,” and “precipitation falls,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the description more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a sequence joined with “when” and a contrast introduced by “Meanwhile.” This shows an effort to describe relationships between stages rather than relying only on short statements. However, control is inconsistent: “winds comes” has subject–verb disagreement, “it start” lacks the correct verb form, and “winds travel … to go” creates an awkward infinitive construction. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “in the coast side” and the long sentence beginning “Firstly.” Several clauses run together, which makes the relationships harder to follow. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes and divide long sentences into shorter, complete clauses while retaining some well-controlled complex structures.

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