Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-02

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)

This diagram illustrates the movement of winds resulting in clouds formation and eventually in rain shadow darkness.

Overall, the cool air emerges from the sea and rises up the mountain where the formation of clouds take place, clouds rain on the top of the mountain and dry air contineious its journey downwards. This whole process streatches for thousands of kilometeres.

Firstly, wind approaches the cost of the sea, where it is pushed upwards. This side is called windward side where wind rises and cools to form clouds. These clouds keep rising and eventually rains on the top of the mountain.

As, all the moisture is converted into the rain, air get completly dry and continuoies its path down the mountain buy the leeward side. these dry winf=ds then reach the bottom of the mountians where there are different settlements. these settelments or plains are converted into rain shadow desert. All this process goes through throusand of mountains which streatches for thousand of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from coastal winds rising to rain on the mountain and dry air continuing inland, and your overview identifies the broad cause-and-effect process. The references to the windward and leeward sides and to the thousands-of-kilometres scale are also grounded in the diagram. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the air is described as “cool” as it emerges from the sea, whereas the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling; and the desert is not formed from settlements or plains, but is located inland beyond the leeward side. The stages of cloud formation and rainfall are mentioned, but the explanation of how the dry air reaches the inland desert could be more precise and consistently developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by a chronological account using “Firstly” and “As.” This makes the overall process reasonably easy to follow. However, some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “As, all the moisture is converted into the rain,” and the final sentences repeat the scale information without adding much. The reference in “This side” is understandable but could be made more explicit by naming the windward side directly. Paragraphing is present, though the stages would be clearer if each paragraph had a distinct purpose—for example, describing the windward-side process first and the leeward-side outcome second. More precise transitions would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moisture,” and “rain shadow desert,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is also some attempt at less common wording, such as “eventually” and “converted.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “streatches,” “cost,” “contineious,” and “sett elments” (written as “sett elments” in the response), and some combinations are unnatural: “clouds formation,” “clouds rain,” and “rain shadow darkness.” These choices sometimes make the meaning less clear. Aim for accurate process collocations such as “clouds form,” “rain falls,” and “dry air moves inland,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including the overview clause “where the formation of clouds take place” and the sequence beginning “As, all the moisture…”. The main stages can generally be understood, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “the formation of clouds take place” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “air get completely dry” also needs agreement. The sentence beginning “As” is punctuated incorrectly and does not connect smoothly to the main clause. There are also inconsistent sentence openings and capitalization, such as “these dry…” after a full stop. Build accuracy by checking subject–verb agreement, sentence boundaries, and clause connections, while retaining a mix of sentence forms.

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.