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 given diagram illustrates the information about how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert which includes 7 steps in the formation.

It can be clearly seen that first step begin with the winds approaches coast at the sea level and then winds pushed upwards to the mountains. After that moist air rises and cools which turn into clouds formation.

Evidently, it is clear that after the formation of clouds, following this clouds reaches at the peak of the mountain and then rain begins to fall heavily at the windward side of the mountains. While raining the dry air continues to flow over the mountains to downward at leeward side. Finally, the dry winds reach the inland areas called the rain-shadow desert.

Overall, these are the major 7 steps involved in the formation of rain-shadow deserts and the distance between the sea and rain-shadow desert is thousands of kilometres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the process, identifying the movement of air, cloud formation, and the resulting rain-shadow effect. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview of the process as a whole. While the prompt asks to report main features and make comparisons, the response focuses on a step-by-step narration rather than synthesizing the information. The mention of '7 steps' is an interpretation not explicitly stated in the diagram, which limits the analytical quality of the summary. To improve, focus on grouping the stages into logical phases (e.g., moisture collection, precipitation, and the rain-shadow effect) to provide a more cohesive summary of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is occasionally repetitive. Phrases like 'It can be clearly seen that' and 'Evidently, it is clear that' are used as filler rather than to guide the reader through the process. Cohesive devices are present (e.g., 'After that', 'While raining', 'Finally'), but they are used in a somewhat mechanical fashion. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'following this clouds', which lacks grammatical agreement and logical connection to the previous sentence. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to previous nouns would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. Terms like 'winds approaches', 'pushed upwards', and 'rain begins to fall heavily' are functional but basic. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'clouds reaches at the peak' and 'flow over the mountains to downward'. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on simple descriptors rather than more precise scientific or process-oriented terminology. To achieve a higher score, incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to geographical processes, such as 'prevailing winds', 'orographic lift', 'precipitation', and 'arid conditions'.

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 the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('first step begin', 'winds approaches', 'clouds reaches') and awkward phrasing ('flow over the mountains to downward'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction is often clunky. While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent verb tense usage and ensuring correct prepositional usage would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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

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