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 given process showcases 7 stages involed in formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the process explains how moist winds from the sea approach the coast, rise over the mountain range and travel thousands of kilometers eventually resulting into dry winds which reach inland areas.

On the windward side, the process begins with winds from the sea approaching the coast and moist air is pushed upwards where it cools and formation of clouds is resulted. Thereafter rainfall occurs marking the final stage of windward side.

Following to the rain fall, dry air continues over the mountain and decends on leeward side and dry winds reach inland areas subsequently.Ultimately resulting in formation of rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as having seven stages and give a relevant overview: moist winds rise over the mountains, lose moisture, and eventually reach inland areas as dry winds. The sequence from cloud formation to rainfall and then dry air crossing the mountain is also broadly accurate. However, the account is brief and some stages are compressed: for example, it does not clearly explain that the air rises and cools before clouds form, or distinguish the windward and leeward sides in enough detail. The response also falls short of the required 150 words, limiting how fully you can report the main features. Develop each stage more explicitly and include the diagram’s inland rain-shadow desert as the outcome.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the windward and leeward stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Thereafter” and “Following to the rain fall” help show the process order, and the reader can follow the broad progression. Cohesion is not always smooth, however. “Following to” is an awkward link, and the final sentence fragment, “Ultimately resulting in formation…,” is not well connected to the preceding sentence. Some ideas are also packed into long sentences. Use straightforward transitions such as “After rainfall” and connect the final outcome in a complete sentence to make the progression more fluent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist winds,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “rainfall,” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the diagram’s main stages. There is some variety in how you describe movement and change, such as “approach,” “rise,” and “continues.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “formation … is resulted,” “Following to,” and “resulting into” make parts of the description less clear. There are also spelling errors in “involed” and “decends,” and “rain shadow desert” should be consistently written as “rain-shadow desert.” Aim for precise process collocations and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview clause beginning “how moist winds…” and the sequence joined with “where.” The main process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “formation of clouds is resulted” has an incorrect passive construction, while “Ultimately resulting in formation…” is a sentence fragment rather than a complete clause. The phrase “dry air continues over the mountain and descends” also needs a clear subject and consistent sentence structure. Articles are missing in “formation of rain-shadow desert” and “formation of clouds.” Practise complete sentences with accurate verb forms and articles, while retaining your attempts to link stages in complex sentences.

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

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