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)

The graph demonstrates the complete procedure of rain-shadow deserts formation.

There are 7 main steps that have shown in the graph. Winds approach coast, winds pushed upwards, moist air rises and cools, clouds form, rain falls, dry air continues over mountain and dry winds reach inland areas.

It starts from the sea where winds approach coast and pushed upwards onto the mountain then moisture of air is rises and become cools with the windward side. There clouds are form and start rain falls at the top of the mountain.

The dry air continues over the mountain to leeward side and then dry winds reach inland areas where the rain-shadow desert is formed properly. This all process take thousands of kilometres to happen.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and correctly locate rain and cloud formation on the mountain’s windward side. You also mention the rain-shadow desert and the diagram’s horizontal scale. However, the account is brief and mainly lists or repeats the labels, so important links are under-developed: explain that rising moist air cools and produces rain, leaving drier air to cross the mountain and create arid conditions inland. The phrase “formed properly” does not clearly describe this outcome. The response is also 28 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail available to summarise the process fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in broadly chronological order, and the final paragraph moves from the mountain to the inland desert, giving the reader a basic sense of progression. However, the response has little paragraph development: the second paragraph lists all seven stages, then the next two largely repeat them. Connections between cause and effect are not consistently made, and “There” in “There clouds are form” is unclear. Use a concise overview followed by a step-by-step explanation, with linking expressions such as “as a result” and “after crossing the peak” to show how each stage leads to the next. This would make the organisation clearer and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps convey the diagram’s subject. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated directly from the labels, such as “winds approach coast” and “dry air continues over mountain.” Some word combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “procedure of rain-shadow deserts formation” and “moisture of air.” Aim for more precise process language and natural collocations, for example, “formation of a rain-shadow desert,” “moist air,” and “precipitation falls.” This would make the description more fluent and precise without adding unsupported information.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both a sequence list and longer sentences, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently, sometimes making relationships difficult to follow. For example, “There are 7 main steps that have shown” needs a passive form such as “that are shown,” while “moisture of air is rises and become cools” contains several faulty verb forms. In “winds approach coast and pushed upwards,” the verbs are not parallel, and “This all process take” has incorrect word order and subject–verb agreement. Practise forming accurate present-simple process descriptions and passive clauses, and check articles and agreement. Clearer sentence patterns would help communicate the stages reliably.

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

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