Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-28

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 given figure illustrates the procedure of the formation of rain shadow deserts. Overall, this is a lengthy process with multiple complicated steps, it begins with the initial steps and ends with the final product.

On a cursory look, it becomes evident that the whole operation commences with the winds that approaches to the coast. In the next stage, the wind pushes upwards on the windward side. Following this, the wind reaches upwards and gets moist, the moist air then rises and cools. Later on, this air is turned into form of clouds. Thereafter, when the clouds are formed then the rain falls on the mountains.

Afterwards, the dry air continues over the mountains on the leeward side. Subsequently, the dry winds reach to the inland areas. Eventually, the rain shadow dessert is formed. Overall, the process shows the distance of thousands of kilometers between sea and inland for the formation of rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you identify the windward and leeward sides. However, the overview is vague: calling it a “lengthy process with multiple complicated steps” does not summarise the key mechanism or outcome. Some details are also inaccurate or unclear. The air does not “get moist” after rising; rather, moist air rises and cools, leading to cloud formation and rain on the windward side. The final sentence misinterprets the scale: “thousands of kilometers” indicates the horizontal distance shown, not a distance required for the desert to form. A clearer overview of moisture loss over the mountains and the resulting dry inland area would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in broadly chronological order, and paragraphing separates the opening from the process description. Sequencing expressions such as “Following this,” “Thereafter,” and “Subsequently” help the reader follow the diagram. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical and the links do not always clarify the relationships between stages. For example, “when the clouds are formed then the rain falls” repeats the sequence without adding precision, while “Overall” is used again at the end to introduce a detail rather than a concluding summary. The opening sentence also joins two complete ideas with only a comma. Grouping the stages into a clear overview and a more tightly connected description would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “dry winds,” which helps describe the diagram. There is also some variety in sequencing language. However, several choices are inaccurate, awkward, or repetitive: “the wind reaches upwards and gets moist” does not express the process correctly, and “turned into form of clouds” is an unnatural phrase. “Rain shadow dessert” is a spelling error that changes the meaning, and “procedure” and “operation” are less suitable than “process” for describing natural formation. Aim for precise, natural collocations and use the diagram’s terminology consistently; this will make the description clearer without relying on inflated phrases such as “on a cursory look.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including a sequence of clauses describing the stages. However, errors in agreement, sentence boundaries, and grammatical patterns are noticeable. In “the winds that approaches to the coast,” the verb does not agree with the plural subject, and the relative clause is awkwardly formed. “This is a lengthy process with multiple complicated steps, it begins…” joins independent clauses with a comma. The phrase “when the clouds are formed then the rain falls” also has an unnecessary and awkward pairing of “when” and “then.” These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the general sequence, but more accurate clause construction and agreement would improve control.

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