Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-02

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 method of producing Rain shadow deserts,there are seven significant stages in the process. In general there are few significant developments in the process.

An anlaysis of the diagram indicates that the the wind approcah coast by the sea and than wind pushed upwards in the first and second stages.Then the moist air rises and cools the wind then the clouds are formed by going through windward side in stage three and four.

Furthermore, after the clouds are formed rain falls in the fifth stage. And the dry air continues over the mountains by leeward side in the sixth stage.

Further examination, of the diagram shows that the dry winds reach inland areas in the seventh stage then the rain shadow desert forms.

Overall, the diagram depicts the cyclical process. starting with the wind approach and endind with the rain shadow desert formation. The process than repeats.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a seven-stage process and report its main sequence, including winds approaching the coast, air rising and cooling, rainfall on the windward side, and dry air moving inland beyond the mountains. This covers the central stages, and the final desert location is also mentioned. However, the overview is unclear: “few significant developments” does not summarise the key cause-and-effect pattern, and describing the process as “cyclical” and saying it “repeats” is not supported by the diagram. Some stages are also less fully explained, particularly how the mountain forces moist air upwards and how the resulting dry winds create a rain-shadow inland. A clearer overview and more precise explanation of these links would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the diagram’s general order, moving from coastal winds through rainfall to dry inland air, and paragraph breaks help separate parts of the account. Sequencing phrases such as “in the first and second stages,” “Furthermore,” and “in the sixth stage” make the progression reasonably easy to follow. However, the linking is sometimes mechanical, and the repeated “Further examination” does not add a clear relationship between ideas. Some sentence boundaries are confusing, especially “Then the moist air rises and cools the wind then the clouds are formed,” while the final paragraph repeats the sequence and introduces an unsupported cycle. Grouping the stages into a concise overview and two logically connected process paragraphs would improve flow and referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” “dry air,” “windward side,” and “leeward side,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. There are also attempts to vary the wording with phrases such as “An analysis” and “Further examination.” However, several spelling errors—“anlaysis,” “approcah,” and “endind”—and inconsistent capitalisation reduce accuracy. Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “method of producing” deserts and “few significant developments”; the diagram describes a natural formation process, not production. Replacing these with precise process language, and avoiding repeated generic phrases, would make the vocabulary more accurate and appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentence forms, and most stages can still be understood. However, control is uneven: the opening has a comma splice in “deserts,there are seven,” and the sentence beginning “Then the moist air rises and cools the wind then…” joins clauses in a way that obscures their relationship. There are also problems with articles and sentence construction in “by going through windward side” and “the dry air continues over the mountains by leeward side.” The final paragraph begins “Overall” with a sentence fragment after a full stop, and punctuation around sentence openings is inconsistent. Use complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and connect each stage with accurate clause structures.

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