Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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 number of stages involved in the process of rain shadow desert formation.

Overall, the process is a linear. It consisting of seven stages, beginning with winds approching to the coast in the sea and ends with the formation of rain shadow.

Initially, the process commences with winds approaching through coast in the sea and then pushed upwards across the mountains. Following this, the winds air moisture then rises and cools.By following this, the clouds formed in the windward side. At the top of the mountain the rain falls begins.

In the subsequent stage, in the leeward side the dry air continues over the mountain .After the dry winds reach the inland areas in the inland and the formation of rain-shadow desert in the thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and give a basic overview from approaching winds to desert formation. Several key features are also included, such as air rising and cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry air crossing the mountain. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately described: the winds approach from the sea towards the coast, rather than “through coast in the sea,” and it is the moist air—not the winds’ moisture—that rises and cools. The final outcome should be stated clearly as dry winds reaching inland areas and creating a rain-shadow desert. The response is 20 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail available to report the stages fully. Add a little more precise explanation of the windward and leeward sides.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the earlier and later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Following this,” and “In the subsequent stage” help the reader follow the process. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, particularly the repeated use of “Following this” and the phrase “After the dry winds reach the inland areas in the inland.” The overview also contains a sentence fragment-like construction (“It consisting of seven stages”), which interrupts the flow. Use clear stage-to-stage links and avoid repeating information; for example, describe the movement from the windward side over the mountain to the leeward side in one connected sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “formation,” “stages,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “dry air,” showing an adequate range for describing the diagram. Some attempts at more specific wording are less accurate or natural, however. “Winds approaching through coast in the sea” does not clearly express movement from the sea towards the coast, while “the formation of rain-shadow desert in the thousands of kilometers” misuses the scale label as part of the outcome. There are also spelling and word-form slips, such as “approching.” Aim for precise collocations and use the diagram’s labels accurately: the horizontal distance is thousands of kilometres, while the desert forms inland beyond the leeward side.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including sequencing clauses with “then” and “after.” However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms are frequent enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. For example, “It consisting of seven stages” needs a finite verb (“It consists of seven stages”), and “the clouds formed” should be “clouds form” when describing a process. The sentence “At the top of the mountain the rain falls begins” combines incompatible verb forms. There are also punctuation and spacing problems, such as the missing space after “cools.” Build each stage with a clear subject and verb, and check that verbs remain consistently in the present simple.

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

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