Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10

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 steps followed in formation of one type of desert, known as rain-shadow desert.The process starts from the sea on the windward side of the mountain and ends on the fomation of rain-shadow desert on leeward side. The distance between both sides is arround thousands of kilometers.

Starting from the Windward side,On the sea the winds approach the coast, secondly winds pushed upwards along the mountain,In th third place, Moist air rises and cools at the windward level,Furthermore the clouds are formed on the next step.Afterwards, the rain falls in the fifth step.

Aftermath, In the sixth stage dry air continues over mountain on the leepward side and starts falling down the mountain,In the seventh phase of he process the dry winds reach inland areas.After all those steps Rain-shadow desert is fromed on the Inland area.

At the end, After following the seven critical steps the Rain-Shadow desert is fially fromed on the Inland area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and report the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, including cloud formation and rainfall. You also correctly locate the desert inland on the leeward side. However, the overview is not sufficiently clear or precise: the opening says the process ends with the desert, but does not summarise the key cause-and-effect pattern of moist air rising and losing rain before dry air crosses the mountains. Some details are unclear or unsupported, such as saying the winds start “on the sea on the windward side” and that dry air “starts falling down the mountain.” To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the windward rainfall and leeward aridity, then describe the stages accurately without adding uncertain details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in the correct general order, and the use of separate paragraphs gives the response an overall arrangement. Sequencing expressions such as “secondly,” “Afterwards,” and “In the seventh phase” help the reader follow the process. However, these links are often mechanical and repetitive, and some transitions make the sequence harder to follow: “Aftermath” and “After all those steps” do not clearly connect the information. The final sentence repeats the conclusion already given in the preceding paragraph rather than adding a new feature. Improve progression by grouping the stages into a clear overview and a detailed account, using fewer numbered transitions and clearer references to the windward and leeward sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “winds approach the coast,” “moist air rises and cools,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” and “inland areas.” These choices make the basic stages understandable, and terms such as “windward” and “leeward” are appropriate to the diagram. However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling errors reduce accuracy, including “fomation,” “arround,” “leepward,” and “fially.” Some expressions are also awkward or imprecise, such as “the steps followed in formation” and “the desert is formed on the Inland area.” Aim for accurate spelling and more natural process collocations, for example, “the formation of a rain-shadow desert” and “the dry air descends on the leeward side.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the reader can generally understand the sequence. However, control is inconsistent, with frequent errors in sentence boundaries, articles, and verb forms. For example, “The process starts from the sea … and ends on the fomation” lacks a clear article and has an awkward grammatical construction; “winds pushed upwards” needs a consistent passive form such as “are pushed upwards”; and “the clouds are formed on the next step” has an incorrect preposition and tense choice. Several stages are joined with commas rather than properly punctuated sentences, while capitalisation is inconsistent. Practise writing complete, accurately punctuated sentences and use a consistent present simple or passive form to describe each stage.

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

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