Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-06

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 demonstrates how one type of desert , known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed. The picture display information about the environment ,atmosphere and how it leads to development of rain-shadow deserts. The distance between coast and desert is about thousand of kilometers and they are drift apart by mountains.

As winds approach coast above sea, it get pushed towards higher altitude because of mountains where moist air rises and winds get cooled. This process lead towards the formation of clouds above mountains and rainfall occurs . The bi

However, dry air continues over mountain and travel downwards till it reaches inland where dry winds spread . We can notice that the rain fall occurs on one half of the mountain facing towards sea and other half contain dry winds. We can see some droplets of water on desert . Due to this whole mechanism , desert is known as rain- shadows deserts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process and describe its main sequence: moist air rises over the mountains, clouds form, rain falls on the sea-facing side, and dry air continues inland. The contrast between the windward and leeward sides is also relevant. However, the overview is not clearly separated or fully developed, and the claim that “some droplets of water” can be seen on the desert is not supported by the diagram. The final explanation that the desert is named for the “whole mechanism” is vague. The response is 141 words, below the required 150; the 13 words copied from the prompt are not counted. Add a concise overview and clarify the stages and their locations to cover the process more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the broad direction of the process, moving from winds approaching the coast to dry air reaching inland, and “However” signals a contrast between the two sides of the mountain. This gives the reader some overall organisation. However, the stages are compressed into one main paragraph, so the sequence and the distinction between windward and leeward conditions are not consistently easy to follow. The unfinished fragment “The bi” interrupts progression, while “This process” and “this whole mechanism” refer vaguely to earlier information. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the detailed sequence, and connect each stage explicitly with terms such as “as a result” and “on the leeward side.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rainfall,” “dry air,” and “inland,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is also an attempt to vary wording with phrases such as “higher altitude” and “development.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward: “they are drift apart by mountains” does not clearly express the distance and separation, and “dry winds spread” is less precise than describing the air moving inland. “Rain-shadow deserts” is also used inconsistently for a single desert. Aim for accurate process collocations and avoid unsupported details such as “droplets of water.” For example, use “the air is forced upwards” and “the dry air descends on the leeward side.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine stages using clauses, as in “because of mountains where moist air rises,” and uses a contrastive sentence beginning “However.” These attempts show some range, but control is inconsistent and errors occur frequently enough to make parts difficult to read. Examples include “it get pushed” and “This process lead,” where subject–verb agreement is missing, and “winds get cooled,” which has an awkward passive construction. Articles and plurals are also unreliable in “approach coast” and “one half of the mountain.” The fragment “The bi” further disrupts sentence structure. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then link them with subordinate clauses; check agreement, articles, and sentence completeness during proofreading.

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.