Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05

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 depicts the process of the formation of a kind of desert called a 'rain-shadow desert' under a certain condition.

As we can see, to form rain-shadow deserts, there are many steps needed, from wind carrying moisture from the sea to the role of mountains in forming a desert on the leeward side of the mountain.

The process begins with the wind carrying moisture from the sea towards the coastline, and then the wind pushes the moist air upwards to the mountain. As the moist air moves up, the air gets cooler and the clouds form. The formed clouds burst into rain, and the remaining dry air moves forward over the mountains.

After crossing the mountains, the dry winds continue to move thousands of miles until they reach the inland area. As the dry air continues to flow in inland area and lack of rain creates the rain-shadow deserts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, from moisture-laden wind to the arid leeward side. However, the description is somewhat basic and lacks a clear overview or summary of the key features. While the steps are identified, the explanation of the physical mechanism—specifically the cooling of air leading to precipitation—could be more precise. The response addresses the prompt but remains at a descriptive level rather than providing a more analytical summary of the process, which limits the development of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction and a step-by-step progression through the stages of the process. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction from the body of the explanation. Cohesive devices such as 'The process begins with', 'As the moist air moves up', and 'After crossing the mountains' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and the final sentence is slightly disjointed, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some subject-specific terms used correctly, such as 'moisture', 'leeward side', and 'inland area'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'there are many steps needed' and 'the air gets cooler' are functional but lack the precision and sophistication expected at higher levels. There is little attempt to use less common lexical items or idiomatic collocations related to meteorological or geographical processes, which keeps the score in the mid-range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the grammar is generally accurate and communication is not impeded, there are some minor errors and awkward phrasings. For example, 'As the dry air continues to flow in inland area and lack of rain creates the rain-shadow deserts' is grammatically incomplete and lacks a clear subject-verb structure. The use of articles is occasionally inconsistent. A wider variety of complex structures with greater accuracy would be required to achieve a higher band score.

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.