Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-27

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 flow chart illustrates the various stages involved in the formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is clear that the process is a natural, step-by-step procedure consisting of seven distinct stages. It begins with winds approaching and culminates in the formation of a rain-deset in inland areas.

In the first stage of the process, winds approach the coast from sea and pushed upwards as it moist air along the windward side, it gradually cools down. Subsequently, clouds form in the atmosphere, leading to rainfall on the side of the mountain.

Following this, the air continues over the mountain towards the leeward side.After that, the wind reach inland areas where rain-shadow occurs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the diagram as a process and give a relevant overview, noting its seven stages and the movement from coastal winds to an inland desert. The main sequence is partly covered: winds rise, cool, form clouds and produce rain before continuing over the mountain. However, the account is brief and leaves important details under-developed, including that the air becomes dry after rainfall and that dry winds reach the inland rain-shadow desert. The final stage is also described as the wind reaching inland “where rain-shadow occurs,” rather than clearly explaining the desert’s formation. The response is 112 words, below the required 150, which limits how fully you can report the stages. Add the missing details and explain the windward-to-leeward contrast more explicitly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview and a chronological description. Sequencing expressions such as “In the first stage,” “Subsequently” and “Following this” help the reader follow the process. The progression is generally logical, but the final description is compressed, and the transition between the last two stages is not fully clear. For example, “Following this, the air continues over the mountain towards the leeward side.After that” needs a space after the full stop, and the relationship between the air becoming dry and the desert forming could be made more explicit. Use separate, well-developed paragraphs for the overview and stages, and connect each stage with clear references to the air and its changing moisture.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “flow chart,” “stages,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “clouds” and “rainfall.” These terms show an adequate range for describing the diagram, and the meaning is generally understandable. Some choices are imprecise or awkward, however: “rain-shadow occurs” does not clearly name the resulting desert, while “step-by-step procedure” is less natural for a natural process. There are also spelling errors in “rain-deset” and “desert.” Aim for precise terms that describe the changing air and the outcome, such as “moist air,” “dry winds” and “rain-shadow desert.” Check spelling carefully, especially for key terms repeated in the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the sequence using “leading to rainfall.” The main ideas remain understandable, but some errors in sentence structure and verb forms reduce accuracy. In “winds approach the coast from sea and pushed upwards,” the second verb needs a matching passive form (“are pushed upwards”); “as it moist air” is also an incomplete construction. The sentence beginning “In the first stage” joins several clauses without clear grammatical links. In addition, “the wind reach” needs subject–verb agreement, and the missing space after “side.” affects punctuation. Use shorter, controlled sentences to describe each stage, then check articles, verb forms and agreement.

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