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 given demonstrates the formetion of rain shadow desert . the diagram enlighten the process into seven unique way.

firstly, the winds approach coast below above from the sea .in second step the winds pushed upwards close to the mountains . next the moist air rises and cools in the windward sides of the mountains . then the clouds form almos near the peak of the mountains and then the rain falles in the peak of the mountains . In next step to form a rain shadow deserts dry air continues over mountain by the leeward side of the mountains. the in the final step the dry winds reach inland areas on the inland to form rain shadow deserts the process starts from the coast and reach to inland in this process it covers thousands of kilometres . Mountains plays a crutial role in formation of rain shadow deserts the windward side and leeward side both are also very important in formation of rain shadow deserts .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you correctly identify the mountains and their windward and leeward sides as central to the process. The reference to rain falling near the mountain peak also reflects the diagram. However, the account is not always precise: “winds approach coast below above from the sea” is unclear, and the explanation does not clearly state that moist air rises, cools, forms clouds and loses moisture as rain before the remaining dry air crosses the mountains. The final comment that the mountains and both sides are important repeats information rather than adding a clear overview. To strengthen the response, summarise the cause-and-effect pattern explicitly and describe the inland rain-shadow desert as the outcome.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in broadly chronological order, and sequencing expressions such as “firstly,” “next,” and “in the final step” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is written as one long paragraph, so the overview and the sequence are not clearly separated. Some links are repetitive or awkward, particularly “then … and then” and “In next step … the in the final step.” The sentence beginning “the process starts from the coast” also combines the distance, the stages and the importance of the mountains without clear connections. Organise the answer into a brief overview followed by a logically grouped description, and use linking words selectively to make the cause-and-effect relationships clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward,” “leeward,” “dry winds” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable: “formetion,” “enlighten,” “falles” and “crutial” reduce accuracy, while “the diagram enlighten the process into seven unique way” is not a natural description. Repetition of “rain shadow deserts,” “mountains” and “formation” also limits the range. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe the diagram as “illustrating the formation process,” and use “precipitation” or “rainfall” where appropriate rather than repeating “rain falles.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to connect stages in longer sentences, for example by using “next” and “then,” but sentence structures are often faulty and punctuation is inconsistent. Errors include missing or misplaced articles in “approach coast” and “over mountain,” subject–verb disagreement in “Mountains plays,” and an unclear construction in “the dry air continues over mountain by the leeward side.” The final sentence also joins several ideas without clear sentence boundaries. These problems sometimes make relationships between stages difficult to follow. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with clauses such as “As the moist air rises, it cools and forms clouds.” Check articles, plural agreement and full stops when editing.

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