Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustrates the stages involve in formatting rain-shadow deserts, and there are some crucial steps which play indispensable role to complete the formation rain-shadow desert.

In detail, winds approach to coastline through sea, and as soon as it reach towards mountain the wind pushed to upwards. Moreover, at certain height most air rises and the temperature getting colder. After that, it goes further on the windward side where the air transformed into clouds form. Furthermore, on the peak of the mountain rain falls, interestingly, the dry air separates from the clouds and the air decants leewards side. Additionally, once the dry wind reaches towards inland areas the rain-shadow desert forms.

Notably, the winds commute thousands kilometers from coastal area of sea to inland area especially produce rain-shadow-desert, Notably, the wind reach the top height of the mountain the wind getting colder which let produce rain drops.

Overall, the process initiates from the sea-coastal area and ends at inland area where the rain-shadow forms and the wind play significant role which goes upwards and and downwards neutrally.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, identifying key elements such as the movement of wind, the cooling effect of altitude, and the resulting precipitation. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision in technical terminology. For instance, the phrase 'wind pushed to upwards' is awkward and imprecise. While the main features are reported, the comparison between the windward and leeward sides could be more clearly articulated to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the diagram. The summary is functional but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical and sometimes misused. For example, the transition 'Notably' is used twice in the same paragraph, and the phrase 'and and' contains a repetition error. The logical flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'the wind play significant role which goes upwards and and downwards neutrally.' While the overall structure is coherent, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the occasional repetitive structure limit the effectiveness of the cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. There are several instances of incorrect word choice or awkward collocations, such as 'formatting' instead of 'formation', 'decants' instead of 'descends', and 'commute' instead of 'travel'. The student relies on basic verbs and nouns, failing to utilize more academic or descriptive terminology related to meteorology or geography. While the meaning is generally clear, the limited range and frequent errors in word choice prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('wind reach', 'wind getting colder'), missing articles ('towards mountain'), and incorrect verb forms ('stages involve in formatting'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be distracting and demonstrate a lack of control over complex grammatical structures. A greater focus on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors is necessary.

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

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