Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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 figure illustrates how a specific type of desert, recognised as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall, the formation of rain-shadow desert includes seven stages. Starting from the approaching of winds to coast and ends with the arrival of dry winds into inland areas.

Initially, the winds are approached to coast from the sea. Then, Winds are pushed upwards in mountains. subsequently, moist air is rised and cooled the winds. After the cooling of winds clouds are formed just above the windward side.

At fifth stage, Rain has been started. Consequently, Dry air is continued over mountain. Resultantly, just below the leeward side of mountain, dry winds are reached to inland areas, surprisingly the rain-shadow desert has been formed at inland area.

The distance between the coast and rain shadow desert is thousands of kilometeres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a rain-shadow desert’s formation and give a basic overview that it has seven stages, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland. You also include the key sequence of uplift, cooling, cloud formation, rainfall and dry air crossing the mountain. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: “just below the leeward side” does not accurately locate the desert, which is inland beyond that side, and the explanation does not clearly connect the loss of moisture on the windward side with the dry conditions inland. The response is also 15 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail you can provide. Develop the causal links and describe the locations more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable beginning, overview and chronological account, and sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Then,” and “Consequently” help the reader follow the stages. The order broadly matches the diagram. However, progression is weakened by abrupt, short statements such as “At fifth stage, Rain has been started” and “Consequently, Dry air is continued over mountain.” Some connectors, including “Resultantly” and “surprisingly,” are awkward or do not express the relationship clearly. Capitalisation after commas is also inconsistent, which interrupts the flow. Group the stages into clearer sentences and use linking words only where they accurately show sequence or cause and effect.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “rain-shadow desert,” so the main subject is generally clear. There are also attempts to vary wording with “Consequently” and “Resultantly.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise, such as “winds are approached,” “the winds are rised,” and “Rain has been started.” “Surprisingly” is not suitable for a neutral process description, and “kilometeres” is misspelled. These errors make parts of the account less clear and show that vocabulary control is uneven. Prefer accurate, conventional process language and check spelling, especially for key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and more complex constructions, including “Starting from the approaching of winds to coast and ends with…” and “After the cooling of winds clouds are formed…”. However, control is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make several sentences awkward or difficult to interpret. Examples include the passive “the winds are approached,” the incorrect form “air is rised,” and the mismatched construction “Starting from … and ends with.” Articles and sentence structure also need attention in phrases such as “to coast” and “in mountains.” Practise forming clear active or passive clauses consistently, and check that each sentence has a complete, grammatically matched structure.

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.