Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15

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 information about the formation of precipitation-shadow deserts.

Overall, there are seven steps for the formation of rain shadow deserts. Windward side present towards the sea coast and the Leeward side placed towards the Inland (desert area). The distance between sea coast and Inland is thousand of kilometers.

At the first stage, the wind approaches the coast upward from the sea. In the second step, wind urged the coast to climb up. After these steps, the air rises and calm due to the low of temperature. Despite expectation, the clouds became in existence. The clouds formed at the Windward side. And then the precipitation starts at the peak point of mountain.

At the six step, the dry air blowing over the mountain downward at the leeward side. And finally, at the last the dry winds reached at their desired location called inland. The area between sea and inland is approximately thousands of kilometres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response identifies the main features of the diagram, such as the windward and leeward sides and the process of precipitation. However, the description of the process is somewhat inaccurate and confusing. For instance, the statement 'the clouds became in existence' and 'calm due to the low of temperature' does not accurately reflect the scientific process shown in such diagrams. The response attempts to cover the steps but lacks the precision required for a high band. The summary is present, but the explanation of the mechanism is underdeveloped and occasionally factually unclear, which limits the effectiveness of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or awkward, such as 'At the first stage', 'In the second step', and 'At the six step'. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly when transitioning between the description of the wind and the formation of clouds. While there is a logical attempt to follow the diagram's flow, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive structure of the sentences hinder the overall flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'wind urged the coast to climb up' and 'clouds became in existence'. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles with collocations related to meteorological processes. While the meaning is generally clear, the limited range of vocabulary and the occasional misuse of terms prevent the response from achieving a higher score. More precise terminology related to geography and climate would improve the quality of the writing.

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. Examples include 'Windward side present towards the sea coast' (missing verb), 'wind urged the coast to climb up' (incorrect subject-verb relationship), and 'the low of temperature' (incorrect noun usage). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction is often clunky. The student demonstrates an attempt to use complex structures, but these are often marred by errors in tense, article usage, and word order, which keeps the score in the mid-range.

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

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