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 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 process, from the sea to the inland desert. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, concise overview of the entire mechanism. While the key features are identified, the explanation of the 'rain-shadow' effect is slightly muddled in the second and third paragraphs. The inclusion of redundant information in the third paragraph, which repeats points already made, suggests a lack of clear planning. To reach a higher band, ensure that each stage is described once with precision and that the overview clearly synthesizes the relationship between the wind, the mountain, and the resulting dry conditions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as the repetitive use of 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'Notably'. Some transitions are awkward, such as 'interestingly, the dry air separates', which does not logically connect the preceding clause. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the third paragraph where the flow of information becomes circular rather than linear. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would significantly enhance the logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choices or non-standard collocations, such as 'formatting' instead of 'formation', 'commute' to describe wind movement, and 'decants' which is incorrectly used in this context. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'windward' and 'leeward', the overall range is limited and the errors in word choice occasionally draw attention, though they do not prevent the reader from understanding the general process.

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. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('wind reach', 'temperature getting colder'), missing articles ('towards mountain'), and awkward phrasing ('stages involve in formatting'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and unnecessary commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over complex structures, which limits the score in this criterion.

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

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