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 diagram illustrates the formation of Rain shadow desert with a wide range of information stated.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that it is a natural process which goes through several stages, which initiate with approaching wind to costal aeras, where it approaches to the higher altitude to form clouds and eventually it rains.

The wind over the sea reaches costal side, where it flows upward to the atmosphere above the mountains. Where this air meets the moister and form clouds due to lower temperature. After the formation of clouds the phenomena of rain happens.

The dry air consequently flows leeaward side and reaches the inland area which is actually a rain shadow desert. The whole process occurs through out the thousands of kilometres.

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 ability to fully develop the description of the process. While the main stages of the rain-shadow effect are identified—moist air rising, cloud formation, precipitation, and the dry air descending—the explanation is too brief. The summary lacks sufficient detail regarding the geographical context or the specific interaction between the wind and the mountain range. Because the response is under-length, it cannot adequately cover all parts of the task, leading to a lower score for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Phrases like 'Overall, it can be clearly seen' and 'The wind over the sea' provide a basic structure, but the transition between the formation of clouds and the movement of dry air is abrupt. The logical progression is present but lacks the sophisticated linking required for higher bands. Paragraphing is used, but the brevity of the paragraphs makes the overall flow feel disjointed.

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 spelling errors, such as 'costal' (coastal), 'aeras' (areas), 'moister' (moisture), and 'leeaward' (leeward). Additionally, the phrasing 'phenomena of rain happens' is unnatural. While the student attempts to use technical terms like 'rain shadow' and 'leeward', the frequent spelling mistakes and limited range of vocabulary restrict the score. To improve, the student should focus on accurate spelling and using more precise verbs to describe natural processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For instance, 'which initiate with approaching wind to costal aeras' is grammatically awkward, and 'Where this air meets the moister' is a sentence fragment. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to subject-verb agreement and sentence completion is necessary.

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

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