Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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 process through which one type of desert, known as rain-shadow deserts are formed.The summary is given highlighting the main features and comparing relevant information.

Overall,rain-shadow deserts ae formed following seven steps.Its generally formed at the foot of a mountain toward the leeward side due to dry wind.

Firstly, winds approach coast flowing over the sea. These winds carry water droplets in them. The mountains pushes the wind upward where the moist air cools. In the next step this moist air cools down and forms clouds. Rising further up,rain falls over the mountains.Then the dry air continues to flow over the mountain and goes downward the leeward side.Finally the dry winds reach the inland areas.Then the rain-shadow desert is formed.The rain-shadow desesrt is formed thousands of kilometers away from the sea.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a sequence and include its main stages: winds arrive from the sea, rise and cool, clouds form, rain falls on the windward side, and dry air moves inland on the leeward side. The overview also recognises the desert’s inland location. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the desert is described as being “at the foot of a mountain,” which is not specified in the diagram, and the claim that it forms “thousands of kilometers away” overstates the scale label, which indicates a horizontal distance of thousands of kilometres. The response is also 16 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail provided. Develop the explanation of how rainfall leaves the air dry before it descends inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows the diagram’s sequence, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “In the next step,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the stages. The overall arrangement is understandable, with an overview before the process description. However, the response is presented as one continuous block, and several transitions make the sequence feel like a list rather than a connected explanation. For example, “In the next step this moist air cools down” repeats the previous statement that the air cools. The final two sentences also repeat that the desert is formed. Use separate overview and detail paragraphs, and connect cause and effect more precisely—for instance, explain that rain removes moisture before the remaining dry air crosses the mountain.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “leeward side,” “inland areas,” and “rain-shadow desert,” so the topic is generally clear. There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “carry water droplets” and “flow over the sea.” Some choices are imprecise or repetitive: “water droplets” is less accurate than describing moisture in the air, and “formed” is repeated several times. Spelling slips in “ae” and “desesrt” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise process terms and vary repeated verbs; for example, describe air as “rising,” “cooling,” and “descending” as the stages change.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the main sequence using both simple sentences and some longer structures, such as “The mountains pushes the wind upward where the moist air cools.” However, grammatical control is uneven, and errors occur in basic sentence construction and agreement. For example, “rain-shadow deserts ae formed” has an incorrect verb form, while “The mountains pushes” has a subject–verb agreement error. The opening sentence also lacks a comma after its introductory phrase and has an awkward singular/plural construction: “one type of desert, known as rain-shadow deserts are formed.” Punctuation spacing is inconsistent, as in “Overall,rain-shadow” and “up,rain.” Practise accurate agreement, sentence boundaries, and punctuation, while retaining the clear chronological 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.