Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

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 presented diagram shows, how the Rain-Shadow deserts are formed. we can see the mountain with windwar and leeward side. and the formation of the rain shadow deserts follows from the Sea coast and after passing through the several stages it goes from the top of the mountain to the Dry winds reach inland areas.

overall, the whole precedure takes about seven stages. at the very begining we can see the winds approaching the sea coast and pushed upwards the mountain where the moisture in the air increases and cools. after this stage the formation of clouds starts and at the very next stage the rain clouds starts raining on the mountain. this whole process we see on the Windward side.

on the other side, diagram explains the continueation of dry air over the mountain downwards at the leeward side.

Eventually we can see all the necessary stages required to form a rain shadow dessert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a process and give a broad overview that it has seven stages, then describe the windward-side sequence and the movement of dry air over the mountain. These are relevant features and the main direction of the process is generally clear. However, some stages are not reported precisely: the winds approach from the sea and are forced upwards, while the air’s moisture decreases as it rises and cools; your claim that “the moisture in the air increases” reverses this key change. The final outcome—dry winds reaching inland areas and creating the rain-shadow desert—is also not clearly explained. Develop the overview around the contrast between rainfall on the windward side and dry conditions inland, and report each stage accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, a description of the windward stages, and a short account of the leeward side. Sequencing phrases such as “at the very beginning,” “after this stage,” and “Eventually” help signal order. However, progression is uneven because the opening sentence combines several ideas unclearly, and the final paragraph repeats that the stages form a desert rather than adding the important inland outcome. The transition “on the other side” is understandable but does not fully connect the dry-air movement to the formation of the desert. Organise the account in a clear start-to-finish sequence, using links such as “as a result” to show cause and effect, and make each paragraph contribute new information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward,” “leeward,” “moisture,” “clouds,” and “dry air,” which helps communicate the topic. There are also attempts at more formal wording, such as “formation” and “stages.” However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “windwar,” “precedure,” “begining,” “continueation,” and “dessert” are inaccurate, and “rain clouds starts raining” is an awkward repetition. “Moisture in the air increases” also uses vocabulary in a way that misrepresents the process. Check spelling carefully and choose precise process verbs such as “rise,” “cool,” “condense,” and “precipitate.” This would make the description clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a time clause in “after passing through the several stages” and a relative clause in “where the moisture in the air increases and cools.” However, errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, and verb forms are frequent enough to make parts of the account awkward. For example, “we can see” begins a new sentence with a lowercase letter, “the rain clouds starts” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “winds approaching the sea coast and pushed upwards” does not maintain a consistent verb structure. The opening sentence also has an unnecessary comma after “shows.” Use complete sentences with consistent tense and check that singular and plural subjects match their verbs. More accurate control of these patterns would improve readability.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.