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)

This diagram explain how stap by stap things happen in formaction of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, there are sevan stapes of process,whole start with winds approach coast from sea leval to the upside mountains and end with dry winds come down from mountains and reach to plan lan area.

In detail when winds at high attitut first cool down and convert into moist air.that are responcable for make clouds which is main part of process.The same clouds are drop warter as a fome of rain at the top of the mountains.After that only dry air flow leeward and touch in land areas.The same plan land we take as a rain -shadow desert. the didtance betweeen the seacoast are not lees,it's in thousands of kilometres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and give a broad overview that it begins with winds from the sea and ends with dry air reaching inland, where a rain-shadow desert forms. You also mention clouds, rainfall, and the mountain sides, so the response includes several relevant stages. However, the sequence is not always accurate: the air rises and cools before clouds form and rain falls, whereas you say winds cool and become moist only after reaching high altitude. The final description of the inland area is also unclear, and the scale is mentioned without explaining its significance. The response is 27 words below the required minimum, which limits how fully you can report the stages. Add the missing causal links and describe each stage more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an opening, an overview, and a paragraph beginning “In detail.” Sequencing expressions such as “Overall,” “In detail,” and “After that” help signal the process. However, progression within the detailed paragraph is difficult to follow because several stages are compressed into long, loosely connected statements. For example, the movement from cooling to cloud formation and rainfall is not clearly separated, and “The same plan land” does not make its reference clear. Punctuation and spacing also interrupt the flow. Use one sentence for each connected group of stages, and link them with precise transitions such as “as a result” and “subsequently” to make the sequence easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “winds,” “clouds,” “rain,” “leeward,” and “rain-shadow desert,” showing an attempt to describe the diagram rather than relying only on general language. However, the range is limited, and frequent spelling and word-choice problems make parts of the account difficult to understand, as in “formaction,” “attitut,” and “plan lan area.” Some expressions are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “drop warter as a fome of rain” and “touch in land areas.” Aim to use accurate terms from the diagram, including “rise,” “cool,” “precipitation,” and “inland,” and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary will help distinguish the stages and the windward and leeward sides.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a sentence describing the overall sequence and another explaining how clouds and rain develop. However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “This diagram explain” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “Overall, there are sevan stapes of process,whole start” lacks a clear grammatical structure. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, particularly where a full stop is followed immediately by the next sentence. Practise forming complete clauses with a clear subject and verb, and use accurate connectors to join stages. For instance, “As moist air rises, it cools and clouds form” gives the process a clear, controlled structure.

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