Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-29

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 the formation of rain-shadow deserts, it shows how winds rise from the sea over a mountain and come down from the other side of the montain to form rain-shadow desert. This entire process is shown to happen in 7 steps over thousands of kilometers.

Winds from the sea approach the coastal areas where a mountain pushes the air up from it's side. The moist sea air rises and cools and helps in thhe formation of clouds. Somewhere near the peak of the mountain, this air forms into clouds which unfold throgh rain.

Whats left is dry air, which continues over the peak of the mountain and starts heading down from the side of the mountain. These dry winds then reach the inland flat area which is called rain-shadow desert.

The wind that approaches the coast is moist but its moisture is stripped because it was forced to turn into a cloud and fall as rain. Whats left is dry air which finally reaches the inland area and is responsible for forming rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main sequence: moist winds arrive from the sea, rise over the mountains, produce rain, and continue inland as dry air. The overview that the process has seven steps and spans thousands of kilometres is also grounded in the diagram. However, some stages are not reported precisely: the diagram shows clouds forming and rain falling on the windward side, while your phrase “this air forms into clouds which unfold throgh rain” is unclear. The account also repeats the explanation of moisture loss rather than developing other labelled features, such as the windward and leeward sides. To strengthen the response, describe each stage accurately and use the diagram’s geographical labels to make the process clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into paragraphs and generally follows the process from the coast to the inland desert, so the reader can understand the broad sequence. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the final paragraph restates that the air loses moisture and reaches the inland area, points already made in the preceding paragraphs. Some links between ideas are also awkward, particularly the opening comma splice in “The diagram illustrates …, it shows …” and the unclear transition in “Somewhere near the peak.” Organise the description into a concise overview followed by stages in sequence, and use clear references such as “this moist air” and “the resulting dry air” to connect each step without repeating information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist,” “cools,” “clouds,” “dry air,” and “inland,” which helps communicate the main mechanism. There is some useful variation in describing movement, such as “approach,” “rises,” and “continues.” However, several choices are imprecise or informal for a diagram description: “a mountain pushes the air up from it’s side” and “clouds which unfold throgh rain” do not clearly express the labelled stages. Spelling errors such as “montain,” “thhe,” and “throgh” also reduce accuracy. Choose precise process collocations, for example “is forced upwards,” “condenses to form clouds,” and “precipitation falls,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the sequence “The moist sea air rises and cools and helps in the formation of clouds.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation are noticeable. The opening joins two independent clauses with a comma (“The diagram illustrates …, it shows …”), and “where a mountain pushes the air up from it’s side” has an unclear grammatical relationship between the mountain and the air. The phrase “which unfold throgh rain” is also structurally unclear. Use full stops or conjunctions to separate complete ideas, and build clearer passive constructions such as “The air is forced upwards by the mountain.” Proofread apostrophes and sentence boundaries.

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