Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-03

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 process diagram illustrates how a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, it is evident that this process consists of seven stages, starting with winds approaching the coastal area and ending with dry winds reaching inland areas.

In addition, it is a natural process that describes the stages how to become rain-shadow desert

In detail, when winds move towards the coastal areas, they absorb moisture from the sea. Secondly, these winds hit the mountains and are pushed upwards. Following this, as the air rises along the windward side of the mountain, it gradually cools due to decreased in temperature at high altitudes. After that, the water vapour is transformed into clouds and rain falls on the windward side of the mountain. Next. the air becomes dry and moves to the other side of the mountains. While the dry air moves from the leeward side to the inland areas, where no rainfall occurs. Finally, the island region to become a rain-shadow dessert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process. You have successfully identified the key features, such as moisture absorption, orographic lift, condensation, and the resulting dry conditions on the leeward side. However, the final sentence is grammatically incomplete and confusing, which slightly impacts the clarity of the conclusion. To reach a higher band, ensure that all stages are described with complete, grammatically sound sentences and that the overview clearly synthesizes the entire process rather than just listing the number of stages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into a logical sequence, moving from the initial moisture collection to the final desert formation. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'In detail', 'Following this', and 'Finally'. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the punctuation is inconsistent, such as the period used after 'Next' instead of a comma. Paragraphing is present, but the body paragraph is quite dense; breaking it into two smaller paragraphs (e.g., before the condensation stage) would improve the flow and readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'moisture', 'orographic', 'windward', and 'leeward' (though 'leeward' was implied rather than explicitly used correctly). There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'dessert' instead of 'desert' and 'stages how to become' which is awkward phrasing. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure spelling is accurate, as these small errors prevent the vocabulary from being considered 'wide' or 'sophisticated'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are several grammatical errors that impede clarity, such as 'decreased in temperature' (should be 'a decrease in temperature') and the sentence fragment 'While the dry air moves... where no rainfall occurs.' Additionally, the final sentence is incomplete. While these errors do not completely prevent understanding, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring every sentence has a clear main clause.

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