Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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 process of how one type of desert, known as a rain shadow desert, is formed. This formation usually takes place over the mountain located in islands. Its a process starts with the approaching of wind to the coast and end after the dry winds reach inland areas. At first, on the sea, winds approach toward the coast. Now the wind is being pushed upwards through the body of the mountain and this part of the mountain is known as Windward side. After this, the air gets moist which now starts rising and become cool down. Through condendsation the formation of the cloud takes place. Once the clouds get accumulated, it cause the rainfall to happen through precipitation at the top of the mountain. Going further, the dry air continues to travel downward through Leeward side and finally the formation of the rain shadow desert takes place once the dry wind reaches the inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the process, from the initial approach of wind to the final formation of the desert. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview or summary of the key features as required by the task. While the sequence is logical, the explanation of the scientific process is slightly simplified. To reach a higher band, you should provide a more cohesive summary of the overall trend or the most significant stages rather than just listing the steps chronologically. The inclusion of specific terminology like 'windward' and 'leeward' is good, but the explanation of the transition between these stages could be more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized chronologically, which makes the process easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices such as 'At first', 'After this', and 'Going further' to link the stages. However, the paragraphing is non-existent; the entire response is a single block of text. For a task of this nature, breaking the information into logical paragraphs (e.g., the initial stage, the mountain interaction, and the final result) would significantly improve the flow. Additionally, some transitions feel slightly repetitive or mechanical, which limits the sophistication of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using technical terms like 'precipitation', 'condensation', 'windward', and 'leeward'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'Its a process starts' (grammar/word choice) and 'become cool down' (incorrect verb form). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on more natural collocations and ensuring correct word forms will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'Its a process starts' (should be 'The process starts'), 'on the sea, winds approach toward the coast' (awkward phrasing), and 'it cause the rainfall to happen' (subject-verb agreement error). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and verb tenses.

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

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