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 diagram illustrates the process of a rain shadow desert from the sea to across the mountains to the inland formed

Tow begin with, winds started at the sea beside of coast was pushed upwords diractionto the mountains range causing . moreover, moist air rises to fondation of the clouds used windward side cooling. after that, the coluds rain falls after it reached to the heighest to the hills, in addition, dry air continues oer the moiuntain the it was leedown side towords to inland and wheres as the dry winds reach inland areas. afyter the reached to inland the rain shadow desert was started and the winds reached to the inland.thousands of kilometerst

overall, its is clear from all persoective, the cycle begings at the coast, move to the windward side of the mountain range causing precipitation and end on the leeward side resulting in an arid inland envirnment spenning thousamds of kilometers

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main process from winds arriving at the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and your overview identifies the key contrast between precipitation on the windward side and arid conditions inland. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of how the desert forms. The response also includes relevant stages such as moist air rising, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry air crossing the mountain. However, some details are unclear or repeated: “the cycle begins at the coast” and “the winds reached to the inland” restate the sequence without explaining it further. The scale of thousands of kilometres is mentioned but not clearly connected to the inland area. To strengthen the response, describe each stage more precisely and distinguish the windward and leeward sides consistently.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

There is an overall progression through the process, and sequencing expressions such as “To begin with,” “after that,” and “in addition” help signal the order of events. The final overview also gives the response a recognisable ending. However, most of the description is compressed into one long paragraph, so the stages and their relationships are difficult to follow. Some linking words are used mechanically or do not fit the relationship between ideas, as in “moreover” and “in addition.” The repeated references to inland winds also interrupt the progression. Organise the response into a short overview and a clearly ordered description, using links that show cause and sequence rather than simply adding another point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “dry winds,” “rain shadow desert,” and “arid inland environment.” These terms show awareness of the topic and help communicate the main stages. However, spelling and word-choice problems are frequent enough to make parts of the description difficult to interpret, for example “upwords diractionto,” “coluds,” “leedown side,” and “envirnment.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “the process of a rain shadow desert” and “the clouds used windward side.” Aim for accurate spelling and standard collocations, and use a smaller set of precise terms consistently. Proofreading technical labels from the diagram would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect stages in longer sentences, including the sequence beginning “winds started at the sea” and the overview beginning “overall, its is clear.” However, sentence boundaries and clause relationships are often unclear, and there is little evidence of consistently controlled complex structures. For example, “winds started at the sea beside of coast was pushed” combines clauses without a clear subject or grammatical link, while “after it reached to the heighest” has an unclear subject and verb pattern. Tense and agreement also shift, as in “winds started” followed by “the desert was started.” Use complete sentences with one clear subject and verb in each clause, and check articles, verb forms, and punctuation.

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