Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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 illustrate the process formation of rain-shadow deserts.

Overall, this is consisted of seven steps, starting with winds that approach to coast and end at dry winds reach to inland areas. In addtion mountains sepreated arcoss thousands of kilometers during the process.

The winds are approched from coast area of sea which afterwards pushed upwards to the mountains as windward side. At the third stage majority of the air started to get cooler with climbing the highest of atmosphere. Moveing futher, in Fourth step formation of clouds are started and then fall as rain droups at six stage.

The rain clouds then followed feewards side,after crossed the mountains, with leads to dry air move forwards continues its journy over the mountain. In last phase the dry winds reach to inlands which finally become rain-shadow desert at inland, This whole process covered thousands of kilometers journey to end the couse.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a seven-stage process and give a general start-to-finish overview, including the movement of winds from the coast towards inland areas. You also mention the mountains and the rain-shadow desert, so the response addresses the central topic. However, some stages are not reported accurately or clearly: rain falls at stage five, not stage six, and the account of clouds and rain is difficult to follow. The description also suggests that the mountains are separated across thousands of kilometres, whereas the diagram’s scale arrow indicates the horizontal distance covered. To strengthen the response, explain the key cause-and-effect sequence more precisely: moist air rises on the windward side, cools and forms clouds, precipitation falls, and dry air descends or continues over the leeward side towards the inland desert.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs describing the process. Sequencing expressions such as “At the third stage,” “Moving further” and “In last phase” help the reader follow the intended order. However, some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “The rain clouds then followed feewards side,after crossed the mountains,” which makes it difficult to understand what moves across the mountain. The overview’s statement about mountains being “sepreated arcoss thousands of kilometers” also interrupts the process summary rather than clarifying it. Use one clear stage at a time, and make references explicit—for example, state that dry air continues over the mountain before reaching inland areas. More accurate linking would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “formation of clouds,” “dry air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which shows some awareness of the topic’s terminology. There are also attempts to vary wording with phrases such as “approach,” “pushed upwards” and “continues its journey.” However, spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural combinations reduce clarity: “addtion,” “sepreated,” “rain droups,” and “journy” are examples, while “rain clouds then followed feewards side” is not an effective way to describe the air’s movement. Choose precise verbs and collocations, such as “moist air rises,” “rain falls,” and “dry air moves inland.” Proofreading spelling and avoiding invented or unclear phrasing would make your vocabulary more reliable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a sequence joined with “which afterwards” and a concluding sentence beginning “In last phase.” This gives the response some structural variety, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “The provided diagram illustrate” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “this is consisted of seven steps” uses an incorrect passive construction. Several clauses are also incomplete or poorly formed, as in “with leads to dry air move forwards continues its journy over the mountain.” Articles, verb forms and sentence boundaries need closer attention. Practise building clear process sentences with a consistent present simple, such as “Moist air rises, cools and forms clouds,” and check that each clause has a clear subject and verb.

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.