Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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 chain of process which results in the formation of the rain-shadow deserts. There are alltogether seven process throght which it goes.

At the begining, from the sea the winds approach coast by the striking the wind in the coast there direction changes and move upwards. While the moving the wind to the windward side the moist air rises and cool down to form the cloud in Windward side. Leeward side of the mountains which is the just opposit part of the Windward side.

Moreover, the clouds reached the pick of the mountains so the it rain falls but the dry air continues to move over from the mountains. Then it reached to the Leeward side . Although there is rain falls in the mountains but nort a drop is fall in the inland area, just dry winds reach inland areas so that this area is called as Rain-shadow desert. The desert created idthousands of kilometers far from the sea.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages and give a relevant overall account: moist air rises on the windward side, rain falls near the mountains, and dry air continues inland to create the desert. The sequence is generally consistent with the diagram, and you also identify the desert’s inland location. However, some stages are less clearly explained, particularly how the approaching winds are forced upwards and how cooling leads to cloud formation. The statement that the desert is “thousands of kilometers far from the sea” overstates the diagram: it labels a horizontal scale of thousands of kilometres, not a precise distance for the desert. A clearer overview and more precise reporting of the process would make the key features more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the process in a broadly logical order, moving from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. The paragraph break also separates the earlier stages from the later ones. However, progression is not always smooth: “Leeward side of the mountains…” is a fragment that interrupts the explanation, and “Then it reached to the Leeward side” has an unclear reference. Linking phrases such as “At the beginning” and “Moreover” are used, but “Moreover” does not clearly signal the next stage in a sequence. Organise the account into a clear introduction and overview followed by stages in order, and use precise references such as “the dry air” to strengthen cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “Leeward side,” “dry air,” and “Rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There are also attempts at more descriptive phrasing, such as “the chain of process.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “alltogether,” “throght,” “begining,” and “pick,” while phrases such as “by the striking the wind” and “called as” are not natural collocations. These sometimes make the description harder to follow. Aim for accurate, conventional process language and check spelling; for example, “the process consists of seven stages” is clearer and more precise than “There are alltogether seven process.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a sequence with “While” and a contrast introduced by “Although.” This shows some range, but control is uneven, and several sentence structures are faulty or incomplete. For example, “While the moving the wind…” lacks a correctly formed clause, and “Leeward side of the mountains which is…” is not a complete sentence. There are also errors in tense and agreement, as in “the clouds reached” and “it rain falls,” as well as article and sentence-construction problems in “so the it rain falls.” Use consistent present simple for a process, and build each stage as a complete sentence with a clear subject and verb. Punctuate and proofread complex sentences carefully.

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