Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-08

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 outlines the stages involved in how rain-shadow deserts are formed.

Overall, the formation of rain-shadow deserts having two sides which are windward side and leeward side. In one side having four stages like wind approaching, moist air, clouds forming but other side only two that are dry air formation, dry winds reach inland.

The distance between sea in costal area and inland has thousands of kilometers. Whereas on windward side initially winds approach coast with the help of sea and pushed towards up side of mountains. Before forming the clouds in sky moister air had rises and cools. On the top of hills rain falls.

After rain falls on leeward side water falls through the mountain and converted to dry air continues over mountain. When the dry air formed over mountain at finally dry winds reach to inland areas at that moment rain-shadow desert will form on inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process and give a broad overview of the two mountain sides, then describe the sequence from coastal winds to the inland desert. This addresses the main task, and the reference to the thousands of kilometres is grounded in the diagram. However, some stages are omitted or unclear: the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling before clouds form, and rain falling on the windward side, not on the leeward side. The claim that water falls through the mountain and becomes dry air is not shown; instead, dry air continues over the mountain. To strengthen the response, report each key transition accurately and make the overview clearer by highlighting the contrast between rainfall on the windward side and dry conditions inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the process. The stages are generally presented in sequence, and connectors such as “Whereas” and “After” help signal relationships. However, progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several ideas are compressed into long or awkward sentences, particularly the overview and the final paragraph. “In one side having four stages” does not clearly explain the contrast, while “After rain falls on leeward side” creates a confusing transition. Use clearer topic sentences and link each stage explicitly to the next, for example, wind rises, cools, forms clouds, and produces rain before the air crosses the mountain. This would make the overall organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “dry winds,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the topic. There is also some attempt to vary wording with phrases such as “stages involved” and “continues over mountain.” However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, including “pushed towards up side,” “moister air,” and “water falls through the mountain.” “Costal” is also misspelled, and “kilometers” is less consistent with the British spelling used in IELTS materials. Aim for precise process language and natural combinations such as “is forced upwards,” “moist air rises,” and “rain falls on the windward slope.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “Whereas” and a time clause beginning “After rain falls.” The main sequence is usually understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “the formation … having two sides” lacks a clear finite verb, and “In one side having four stages” is not a complete sentence. There are also errors in articles and agreement, as in “on leeward side” and “moister air had rises and cools.” The final sentence contains an awkward time construction, “at finally … at that moment,” which makes the relationship between events harder to read. Build accurate simple clauses first, then combine them with controlled time and cause clauses.

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.