Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-07

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 provided diagram illustrates the sequential stages involved in the creation of a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the process happens when wet hair moves over mountains. This causes rain on one side of the mountain and leaves the other side completely dry. The whole process takes place over thousands of kilometers and has seven steps.

First, the process starts at the sea level, where winds blow toward the coast. As the wind keeps moving upwards, the wet air starts cooling down in temperature. As the diagram represents that the moist air side is named as the 'Windward side', the level above that side starts transforming into a bunch of cloud due to the cooling down of moist air. Therefore, as the process takes place at the peak, it starts raining on that side.

Just as the rain stops falling, dry air starts plummeting over the mountain. That results in the side being called as the 'Leeward side'. As the dry wind reaches the below point of mountainous area, the final process of the rain-shadow dessert formation takes place in the inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview of the rain-shadow desert formation process. You successfully identified the main stages, such as the movement of moist air, cloud formation on the windward side, and the resulting dry conditions on the leeward side. However, the description is somewhat generic. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more specific details from the diagram, such as the elevation changes or the specific terminology related to the mountain barrier. While the main features are covered, the explanation of the 'seven steps' mentioned in the introduction is not clearly delineated in the body paragraphs, leading to a slight lack of precision in reporting the sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Therefore', and 'Just as', which help guide the reader through the process. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the connection between the final stage and the inland area is a bit abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal flow within the second body paragraph could be improved to better link the cessation of rain with the descent of the air mass. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'sequential stages', 'moist air', and 'windward side'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'wet hair' is a significant error (likely a typo for 'air'), and 'plummeting' is slightly misused in this context. Additionally, 'below point of mountainous area' is awkward phrasing. To improve, focus on using more precise scientific terminology related to meteorology and geography, and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate to avoid confusion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'As the diagram represents that the moist air side is named as the...' is wordy and contains redundant prepositions. You also have issues with article usage and verb forms, such as 'the final process of the rain-shadow dessert formation takes place' (where 'dessert' is a spelling error for 'desert'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the process, they occur frequently enough to limit the score.

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

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