Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-31

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 diagram illustrates formation of rain-shadow desert which is a type of deserts.

Overall, it is clear that process of rain-shadow deserts is quite lengthy. In formation process seven stages involves which starts form winds on sea coast that covers thousands of kilometers through mountains and end with dry winds that reaches inland area where deserts are formed.

The formation process start with winds that approach coast then these winds moved upwards after that moist air rises and cools after this at Windward side clouds are form and the rain falls at next step after clouds formation.

When rain falls at mountain, at next stage dry air continues over mountain at Leeward side after this at last stage dry winds reach inland areas and rain-shadow deserts formation complete. In this formation whole process work around the mountain. Mountains also covered thousands of kilometers due to this formation take lot of time for completion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and correctly identify the windward and leeward sides and the rain-shadow desert. The overview also recognises that the process has seven stages. However, some points are unclear or not supported by the diagram: saying the winds “cover thousands of kilometers” confuses the horizontal scale with the movement of the winds, and the claim that the mountains are covered for thousands of kilometres is not shown. The explanation of how moist air rises, cools and produces rain is relevant but could be more clearly linked to the resulting dry air on the leeward side. A more precise overview and fuller explanation of this cause-and-effect relationship would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the process in the correct general order, and the opening, overview and subsequent description give it an overall structure. However, most of the stages are compressed into two long paragraphs, so the progression is not always easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “then,” “after that,” and “at next stage” are repeated mechanically, while the sentence beginning “The formation process start” contains several stages without clear punctuation or separation. The final comments about the mountains and the time taken also interrupt the process description rather than adding a clear concluding point. Use distinct paragraphs for the overview and stages, and connect each stage with concise, varied transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “inland areas,” which makes the topic recognisable. There is also an attempt to use more specific language such as “formation process.” However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, including “process … is quite lengthy,” “winds on sea coast,” and “whole process work around the mountain.” The repeated use of “formation” and “after this” also limits flexibility. Choose more natural process-reporting expressions and use precise verbs to describe movement and cause and effect. These inaccuracies do not prevent the reader from understanding the main stages, but they reduce clarity and naturalness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the sequence can generally be understood. However, control of verb forms and agreement is inconsistent: “seven stages involves” should be “seven stages are involved,” “process start” needs “starts,” and “dry winds … reaches” should be “dry winds … reach.” Articles and sentence construction also need attention, as in “formation of rain-shadow desert” and “at next stage dry air continues.” Several stages are joined into long sentences with limited punctuation, making grammatical relationships harder to follow. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes, check singular and plural subjects, and divide the sequence into shorter sentences. More reliable control of these patterns would make your range of sentence structures clearer.

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