Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-16

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 a type of desert, which is known as a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the process starts with winds approaching the coast and ends with dry winds reaching inland areas.

In the first stage, the winds reaches towards the coast from the sea and then winds are pushed upwards the mountains in the second step. The third step involves the increase in moist air its cooling. In the following stage, the clouds form near the windward side. At the fifth step, rain starts to fall when the clouds are at the top of the mountain.

The sixth stage depicts that after raining the air gets dry and stays like this over the mountain. In the final stage, dry winds go downwards and approaches the inland areas.This is where the rain-shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main stages of the process, but it is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement. Because the length requirement is not met, the response is penalized. While the overview is clear and the main features are identified, the description lacks the necessary detail and depth expected for an Academic Task 1 response. To improve, you should expand on the physical processes described in the diagram, such as explaining the temperature changes or the specific impact of the mountain barrier on air moisture, rather than simply listing the steps as a sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized logically, following the sequence of the diagram. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'In the first stage', 'In the second step', and 'In the final stage' to guide the reader. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the report is contained within a single paragraph, which hinders the flow. To achieve a higher band, you should group related stages into distinct paragraphs—for example, separating the wind's ascent from its descent—and use a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You use terms like 'winds', 'clouds', and 'mountains' repeatedly, which limits the range. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'the winds reaches' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'stays like this', which is too informal for an academic report. To improve, try to incorporate more precise scientific terminology related to meteorology, such as 'moisture-laden', 'precipitation', or 'arid', to demonstrate a more sophisticated control of language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'the winds reaches' (subject-verb agreement), 'upwards the mountains' (preposition error), and 'approaches the inland areas' (subject-verb agreement). Additionally, there is a missing space after the period in the final sentence. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy of the writing. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve your score.

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

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