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 process diagram in the states, the formation of rain shadow desert due to natural process.

Overall , it is clear that this process is linear and have total seven steps , such as wind approaching coastal area, rise in moisture, formation of cloud , rain and so on.

First of all, when wind from sea approaches, the coastal area near the mountains, which are spread over the thousands of kilometres of area. Due to mountain's shape that wind get pushed upward where air full of moisture gets cooldown due to low pressure. Subsequently, cloud formation takes place and low pressure Cooldowns the cloud. This results in rain at the top of the mountain.

Furthermore, the air that lost it's moisture at top of the mountain continues to flow on the other side of mountain towards downside. Ultimately, dry air reaches the land area with no moist inside this results in rain shadow desert formation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, identifying the key features such as moisture-laden wind, mountain obstruction, cloud formation, and the resulting dry air on the leeward side. However, the description is somewhat superficial. The student mentions 'seven steps' but does not clearly delineate them, and the explanation of the physical mechanisms (such as the relationship between altitude, pressure, and temperature) is slightly inaccurate or confusingly phrased. While the main features are reported, the analysis lacks the precision required for a higher band. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the contrast between the windward and leeward sides of the mountain.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, moving from the initial wind approach to the final desert formation. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction/overview from the body of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Subsequently', 'Furthermore', and 'Ultimately' are used to guide the reader through the stages. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'no moist inside' which disrupts the flow. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, but the cohesion could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the process clearly. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary like 'moisture-laden', 'coastal area', and 'leeward' (though the student used 'other side'). However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'no moist inside' instead of 'no moisture' and 'cooldowns the cloud' which is grammatically and lexically awkward. The range is sufficient to convey the meaning, but the lack of precision and occasional awkward phrasing limits the score to the 6.0 band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'the process diagram in the states' (unnecessary 'the'), 'wind get pushed' (subject-verb agreement), 'it's moisture' (incorrect use of apostrophe for possessive), and 'no moist inside' (incorrect word form). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the process, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over complex structures. More attention to articles, subject-verb agreement, and possessive forms is needed to improve accuracy.

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

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