Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-13

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 it is clear that the whole process takes about 7 steps and can cover up to thousands of kilometres distance to form a rain-shadow desert.

Looking at the first step above the sea level, the winds approach the coast with going towards the mountains and winds going upward. After that in the third step, the moist air rises and it cools the wind aswell, above the windward side where the clouds are formed.

Turning to fifth step, on the peak of the mountains where rainfall is started. On the sixth step the dry air countinues over mountain on the leeward side.The final step occurs when the dry winds are sliding down the mountains and reaching inland areas, finally after these 7 steps, a rain-shadow desert is formed and the whole process covers about thousands of kilometres distance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process and give an overview that it has seven steps and extends across thousands of kilometres. The main sequence is also partly covered, including winds approaching the coast, air rising and cooling, rain falling, and dry air moving inland. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately described: the diagram shows winds being forced upwards by the mountains, while “winds going upward” does not explain this cause; it also shows clouds forming before rain, a stage not clearly reported. The final desert formation is mentioned, but the account could explain more precisely how dry winds on the leeward side create the inland rain-shadow desert. The response is 142 words, below the 150-word minimum; 13 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop the stages more fully to address the task more completely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and a chronological description of the process. Sequencing phrases such as “After that,” “Turning to fifth step,” and “The final step” help the reader follow the stages. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical, and some references are not fully clear. For example, “the third step” and “the fifth step” rely on numbering rather than explaining the links between stages, while “the whole process covers about thousands of kilometres distance” repeats the overview without adding information. Paragraphing is present, but the process description would be easier to follow if each stage were connected through cause and effect, from moist air rising to rainfall and then dry air reaching inland.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “rainfall,” and “inland areas,” which shows an adequate range for describing the diagram. Some wording is imprecise or unnatural, however. “Above the sea level” does not accurately describe the winds’ position, and “rainfall is started” is an awkward way to report precipitation. “Sliding down the mountains” is also not the best description of dry winds continuing over the mountain and reaching inland. There are spelling errors in “aswell” and “countinues,” and repeated use of “step” limits variety. Choose precise process verbs and collocations, and check spelling, to make the description more natural and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview clause “it is clear that…” and the sequence “where the clouds are formed.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence structures are incomplete or awkward. “Looking at the first step above the sea level, the winds approach the coast with going towards the mountains” has an unclear opening phrase and an ungrammatical “with going” construction. “Turning to fifth step, on the peak of the mountains where rainfall is started” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Articles are also missing in “on fifth step” and “over mountain,” and punctuation is needed after “side” before the next sentence. Aim for complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check articles and sentence boundaries.

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

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