Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-07

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 diagram illustrates the formation of a type of desert called rain-shadow desert.

In general, the desert involved the movement of air starting from the sea to the coasts and strike the mountains causing rain forming dry air resulting in the formation of the Rain-shadow desert. The formation of the desert is purely natural and constitute various steps and this process involve the air movement of thousands of kilometres

As winds approaches coasts, the air movement pushed upwards, the moist air arises and cooled down. This results in the formation of clouds in the sky and the upward journey of air is defined as Windward side. When the rain falls, the air water or moisture content lowers down and this dry air continues moving downward towards the other side of the mountain . This travelling of air is known as Leeward side and these dried winds touches the inland areas. The flow of dry air results in the formation of Rain-shadow forests.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, identifying the windward and leeward sides. However, the summary is slightly marred by inaccuracies, such as the final sentence claiming the formation of 'Rain-shadow forests' rather than deserts, which contradicts the prompt. While the key features are highlighted, the description of the process lacks precision in technical terminology and scientific flow. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to provide a clearer summary of the overall mechanism. To reach a higher band, ensure that all terminology aligns accurately with the provided diagram and that the summary captures the causal relationship between the mountain barrier and the resulting climate change more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, moving from a general introduction to the specific stages of the process. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In general', 'As winds approaches', and 'When the rain falls', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing. For instance, the transition from the windward side to the leeward side could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction from the body, but the internal structure of the second paragraph could be improved to better distinguish the distinct stages of the process.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'moist air', 'windward', and 'leeward'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'strike the mountains' (should be 'strikes') and 'air water' (which is redundant). The phrase 'air movement of thousands of kilometres' is vague. To improve, focus on using more precise scientific collocations related to meteorology and geography. The error regarding 'Rain-shadow forests' at the end suggests a lack of attention to the specific details provided in the prompt, which limits the score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('the desert involved', 'winds approaches', 'this process involve', 'dried winds touches'). Additionally, there are punctuation and phrasing issues, such as 'the air movement pushed upwards, the moist air arises and cooled down', which creates a comma splice and tense inconsistency. While the meaning remains clear, these frequent errors prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent verb tenses and subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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.