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 diagram illustrates how rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, the formation of rain-shadow deserts is a process that consists of the winds approach coast, after which moist air rises and cools, and clouds form from the moist air, the rainfall happens and then the dry air continues to move over the mountains and then reach inland areas where rainshadow desert is formed.

The process begins when the wind approach coast from the sea level it pused upwards to the mountain and the moist air rises to the windward side and the formation of clouds happens. After that, the rain fall happens onn the top of the mountain. Then the dry air continues over the mountain and go down to leeward side which then dry the winds and reach inland areas. At last the rain shadow desert formed in the inland of the mountains that is thousand of kilometers to the rain-shadows.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a process and include its main sequence: winds arrive from the sea, rise over the mountains, produce clouds and rain on the windward side, and continue as dry air towards the inland desert. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of how the rain shadow forms. However, some stages are compressed or unclear: the overview does not clearly explain that the mountains force the air upwards, and the description of the air becoming dry as it crosses to the leeward side is not fully developed. The final reference to the desert being “thousand of kilometers” away is also imprecise; the diagram indicates a horizontal scale of thousands of kilometres. Clarifying these relationships would make the key features more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, an overview, and a chronological description of the stages. Sequencing expressions such as “The process begins,” “After that,” “Then,” and “At last” help the reader follow the process. However, the overview is a long chain of events joined together, and the final paragraph also packs several stages into a few sentences. This makes some relationships less clear, particularly how rising air leads to cloud formation and rainfall, and how dry air reaches the inland area. Use clearer sentence boundaries and group related stages—for example, describe the windward-side rainfall before explaining the air’s movement over the mountain. This would make the progression smoother and reduce the mechanical feel of the linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the diagram’s main features. However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, such as “the rainfall happens,” “the formation of clouds happens,” and “the dry air continues to move.” There are also spelling and form errors, including “pused,” “onn,” and “rainshadow,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for concise process verbs and standard forms: for example, say that clouds “form,” rain “falls,” and air “moves across” the mountain. The range is sufficient to describe the stages, but more precise and natural phrasing would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a sequence linked with “after which” in the overview. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “the wind approach coast” needs a correctly inflected verb and article, while “the dry air continues over the mountain and go down” shifts from a singular subject with “continues” to the base form “go.” The overview also becomes a run-on sequence of clauses, making the relationships difficult to parse. Practise building accurate sentences around one or two stages at a time, and check subject–verb agreement and articles. More consistently controlled complex sentences would strengthen the response.

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