Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-11

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 report illustrates the procedure of formation of rain shadow desert.

Overall, the process consists of seven steps, initiating with the winds approaching the cost coast and culminating with the dry winds reaching the inland areas, where Rain shadow desert is formed.

In the first step, the winds approaches the coastal area under the sea. Next, the winds are pushed upwards where the moist air rises is increased and then cooled down. In the subsequent step, the clouds are formed which leads to rain fall at windward side.

Subsequently, over the mountains the dry air continue to flow down-ward the leeward side. In the last step, just before resting down in the inland area, the dry air is the winds reaches the inland areas, where the Rain shadow desert is formed and settled down for life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified the main stages of the process, the description is quite brief and lacks the necessary detail to fully explain the formation of a rain-shadow desert. For instance, the explanation of the leeward side and the specific climatic conditions is underdeveloped. To improve, you should expand on the relationship between the moisture levels, the cooling effect of the altitude, and the resulting aridity on the leeward side. Because the response is under-length and lacks sufficient detail, it does not fully address all parts of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In the first step', 'Next', and 'Subsequently' to signal the progression of the process. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'just before resting down in the inland area, the dry air is the winds reaches the inland areas'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between the windward and leeward sides could be more smoothly integrated to improve the overall cohesion of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision. You use basic terms like 'winds', 'clouds', and 'rain fall'. While these are accurate, the range is limited. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'cost coast' (likely a typo for 'coast') and 'resting down', which is not the most appropriate collocation for describing air movement. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific scientific terminology related to meteorology, such as 'moisture-laden', 'precipitation', or 'arid conditions'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have several grammatical errors, such as 'the winds approaches' (subject-verb agreement) and 'the moist air rises is increased' (redundant verb structure). Additionally, the sentence 'the dry air is the winds reaches the inland areas' is syntactically confused and difficult to follow. While the meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the response from achieving a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and avoiding redundant phrasing will help improve your accuracy.

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