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 how rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, the process consists of 7 main stages, begining with winds approach by coast and ending with dry winds reached inland areas.

Initially, winds came from sea approach coast. Next, winds pushed upwards over the mountains. Following this, moist air rises and became cool. After that, moist air converted into clouds form.

Subsequntly, from clouds form falls rain on the mountains. Once this stage is completed, dry air continues over the mountain leeward side. Finally, dry winds reached inland areas which is thousands of kilometres away from sea.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the diagram as a process and give its overall direction, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland. You also include several key stages, such as air rising over the mountains, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry air continuing beyond the range. However, the account is brief and some stages are unclear or inaccurately expressed: for example, “moist air converted into clouds form” does not clearly explain that clouds form, and the role of the windward and leeward sides is only partly described. The response also does not meet the required minimum of 150 words, so important details and relationships are left underdeveloped. Expand the overview and explain how rainfall on the windward side leaves dry air to create a desert inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Next,” “Following this,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. This gives the response a coherent overall arrangement. However, the repeated use of these transitions makes the progression somewhat mechanical, and the short paragraphs do not develop the stages into a fuller account. Some links between ideas are also unclear, particularly “After that, moist air converted into clouds form” and “Subsequently, from clouds form falls rain.” Use a more varied range of linking methods, and connect cause and result explicitly—for example, explain that rising air cools, leading to cloud formation and rainfall.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “mountains,” “clouds,” “rain,” and “dry winds,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or collocations make the description awkward: “winds came from sea approach coast,” “converted into clouds form,” and “falls rain” do not express the intended stages naturally. There are also spelling errors in “begining” and “Subsequntly.” Aim for precise process language and accurate forms, such as “winds blow in from the sea,” “clouds form,” and “rain falls on the windward side.” This would make the account clearer and more appropriate for an academic process description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses a few simple and linked sentence forms, and the sequence is mostly understandable. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction. For example, “the process consists of 7 main stages, begining” needs a correctly formed participle, while “winds came from sea approach coast” combines verbs in an ungrammatical structure. Tense is also inconsistent: “winds came” and “reached” are past tense, whereas “rises” is present. In “dry winds reached inland areas which is thousands of kilometres away,” the relative clause does not agree with its referent. Use the present simple consistently for a general process and check each clause for a clear subject and verb.

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

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