Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-03

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 illustrate the process of how rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, the wind goes through a series of seven stages before it formed into rain-shadow desert and this natural progress require the winds travel thousand of kilometres to formed the desert. The process begins with winds approaching from coastal and pushing upwards followed by clouds formed with rain falls from top of the mountain. Then dry air blew toward the other side of mountain and formed into desert.

First, the wind approached the coast from the sea and being pushed upwards onto the mountain causing moist air rises and cools followed by clouds formed on the windward side of the mountain. After the clouds formed, the rain start to falls from cloud before producing the dry air on top of the mountain and blews toward to leeward side of the mountain.

Next dry air continues to reach inland areas finally forming the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, identifying the movement of wind, the cooling of air, and the resulting precipitation and dry conditions. However, the summary is somewhat repetitive, and the description of the stages lacks precision. For instance, the claim that there are 'seven stages' is not clearly supported by the visual information provided, which makes the overview slightly inaccurate. While the main features are reported, the comparison between the windward and leeward sides could be more clearly articulated to demonstrate a better understanding of the process. The response addresses the task, but the development of ideas is somewhat basic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'First', 'Next', 'Then'). There are also issues with referencing; for example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. The logical flow is generally maintained, but the connections between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is present but could be used more effectively to separate the distinct phases of the process, such as the initial moisture collection versus the final dry-air stage.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There are several instances of incorrect word forms, such as 'natural progress' instead of 'natural process' and 'formed' used incorrectly in verb phrases like 'before it formed into' and 'to formed the desert'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable. The range of vocabulary is limited to basic terms related to the diagram, and there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or academic terminology to describe meteorological phenomena.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. There are consistent issues with verb tense and subject-verb agreement, such as 'The diagram illustrate' (should be 'illustrates'), 'wind goes' (should be 'wind moves'), and 'rain start to falls' (should be 'rain starts to fall'). Additionally, there are errors in sentence structure, such as 'followed by clouds formed with rain falls', which is grammatically awkward. While the writer attempts to use complex sentences, the control over these structures is weak, leading to frequent errors in tense consistency and preposition usage.

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