Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-27

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 represent the formation of rain-shadow desert which is the type of desert.

The rain-shadow is formed in seven steps, the wind approach the coast from abve the travel upward to the mountains and then from moutains went downward to the last step where wind reached in inland areas

The formation procedure start when winds approach to the coast the winds start traveling upwards to the mountians. Secondly, when winds pushed upward to the mountain the moisture of air will be increased there and the air will be coolen there. After when the moisture of air rose up the result will be cloud formation the cloud will reach at the top of the mountians and rain falling will be start.

Finally, after raining falling the at the top of mountian the dry air continues over mountians and this is the leeward side of mountian where the air comes downwrd from the mountain. Mainly after traveling leeward from the mountain the dry winds reach

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and describe its broad direction from the coast, over the mountains, and towards inland areas. You also include the key sequence of rising air, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry air crossing the mountain. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the air does not become more moist as it rises; rather, moist air rises and cools, then rain falls on the windward side. The overview repeats the sequence without clearly explaining the outcome—that dry winds on the leeward side create a rain-shadow desert inland. The final sentence is also unfinished, so the destination and significance of the dry winds are not fully reported. A clearer overview and more accurate stage descriptions would strengthen coverage of the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic chronological structure, moving from the approaching winds to rainfall and then to dry air crossing the mountains. Paragraph breaks also separate the opening from the process description. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the second paragraph previews the same sequence that the later paragraphs explain. Linking expressions such as “Secondly,” “After when,” and “Finally” are sometimes awkward or do not clearly show the relationship between stages. The last paragraph ends abruptly at “reach,” leaving the process incomplete. Organise the response into a concise overview followed by a clearly ordered account, and use accurate links such as “As a result” to show cause and effect.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “coast,” “upward,” “moisture,” “cloud formation,” “dry air,” and “leeward side,” so the reader can recognise the topic and several stages. However, the range is limited and some word choices or forms make the description imprecise, such as “the moisture of air will be increased” and “rain falling will be start.” Spelling errors, including “abve,” “moutians,” and “mountians,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process terms and natural collocations: for example, say that moist air rises and cools, clouds form, and rain falls. Check spelling carefully, especially for repeated technical words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with time and cause relationships, as in “when winds pushed upward to the mountain…” This shows some effort to describe a sequence rather than relying only on short clauses. However, many sentences contain errors in agreement, tense, articles, and verb forms, which sometimes make the process difficult to follow. For example, “The diagram represent” needs subject–verb agreement, while “the air will be coolen” and “rain falling will be start” use incorrect verb forms. The sentence beginning “After when” is also not grammatically formed, and the final sentence is incomplete. Practise accurate present-simple process descriptions and build longer sentences from correctly formed clauses.

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