Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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 stages by which the rain-shadow in deserts is formed.

Overall, there are seven step in the proces, beginning with the Winds approach coast from the sea and ending with dry winds reach inland areas of the desert.

In the first four phase, It explained how the colud formation take place.Starting with the winds approach from the sea coast and further pushed upward to the mountains. The moist air rises and cool at the same at windward side, which lead to the clouds formation.

In the second phase, Clouds break in to rain and falls on the mountain. Furthermore, the dry air continues over the mountain and leeward side. This is a long distance, approx thousands of kilometres travelled by the wind. Furthermore, these winds reaches to the inland areas of the desert, Which ia also known as Rain-shadow desert. This is a seven step process to formed rain-

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and report its main sequence: winds arrive from the sea, rise over the mountains, cool and form clouds, rain falls, and dry air continues inland. The overview also gives the correct start and end points. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the rain falls on the windward side, not simply “on the mountain,” and the thousands-of-kilometres label describes the horizontal scale rather than a distance travelled by the wind. The final sentence is unfinished, and the explanation of how rainfall leaves the air dry could be clearer. To strengthen the response, describe the windward-to-leeward contrast precisely and complete the process account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic overall structure, with an overview followed by two paragraphs that group the stages. The sequence is generally understandable, and phrases such as “Overall,” “Starting with,” and “Furthermore” help signal progression. However, the grouping into “first four phase” and “second phase” is not fully clear, especially because the second paragraph covers several later stages. Some linking words are repeated, and the ending breaks off at “rain-,” so the final idea is not brought to a conclusion. Improve progression by describing each stage in order, using clear transitions such as “After this” and “As a result,” and ensure each paragraph and sentence is complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “dry air,” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is some attempt to vary wording, but several choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as “clouds break in to rain” and “cloud formation take place.” Spelling errors—including “proces,” “colud,” and “ia”—also make the writing less clear, while “rain-shadow in deserts” is not a natural description of the named landform. Aim for precise process collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe clouds as forming and precipitation as falling, rather than saying clouds break into rain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including “which lead to the clouds formation” and “Furthermore, the dry air continues over the mountain.” The main stages can usually be understood, but frequent errors in sentence construction and agreement make the account uneven. Examples include “there are seven step,” “the moist air rises and cool,” and “these winds reaches”; these require plural agreement or matching verb forms. The sentence beginning “Starting with…” is a fragment, and the final sentence is incomplete. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “It” and “Which” mid-sentence. Practise complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement and sentence endings.

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