Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-04

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 below illustrates how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall, there are seven stages involved in this process and the difference exist between the coast side to desert is thousands of kilometres.

Initially, the winds approached on the seaside by upwards motion towards the Windware side of the mountain. Afterwards the air lock moisture in it and generate both rises and cools temperature around the atmosphere that automatically formed various clouds in the sky. Moreover, the clouds consumed lots of water and then falls all the drops down in the form of rain which is a natural process . Then the air continues dry all the water on the surface of the mountain that moving down the Leeward side. At the last stage the dry winds reach all the inland areas and produce rain-shadow in the desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and include its overall seven stages, then describe the movement from the coast over the mountains to inland areas. However, several key mechanisms are unclear or inaccurate: the air does not “lock moisture” or “generate” rising and cooling; rather, moist air rises, cools and forms clouds, followed by rain on the windward side. The description of dry air crossing the mountain is also confused, and the final link between dry winds and the rain-shadow desert needs to be stated more precisely. The comparison of the coast-to-desert distance as thousands of kilometres is relevant, but it is not clearly expressed. The response is 132 words, below the 150-word minimum, which limits the detail provided.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the broad sequence of the diagram, using markers such as “Initially,” “Afterwards,” “Moreover” and “At the last stage.” This gives the reader some sense of progression. However, the stages are compressed into one paragraph, and several transitions do not clearly show cause and effect. For example, “the clouds consumed lots of water and then falls all the drops down” makes the process difficult to follow, while “Then the air continues dry all the water” does not clearly connect the mountain crossing to the inland desert. Some linking words are also used mechanically rather than to express a precise relationship. Organise the account into an introduction, a brief overview and a sequenced description, and use clear links such as “as a result” where appropriate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “winds,” “mountain,” “clouds,” “rain,” “Leeward side” and “inland areas,” so the topic is generally recognisable. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “rain-shadow desert.” However, inaccurate word choice and collocation sometimes obscure the meaning: “air lock moisture,” “clouds consumed lots of water” and “produce rain-shadow in the desert” do not describe the stages naturally. “Windware” is also a misspelling of “windward,” and “difference exist” is an imprecise way to describe the distance. Aim for accurate process verbs and standard geographical terms, for example, “retain moisture,” “form clouds” and “create a rain shadow.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a sequence joined with “and,” and the opening sentence is grammatically clear. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in longer constructions. For example, “the difference exist” has an agreement error, and “the clouds … falls” shifts incorrectly between plural subject and singular verb. The sentence beginning “Afterwards” also lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “the air continues dry all the water” is difficult to interpret. Tense and clause construction need more consistent control. Use present simple for a process diagram, check subject–verb agreement, and divide complex explanations into shorter clauses. More accurate sentence patterns would make the stages easier to understand.

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