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 rain-shadow desert around a mountain. There are 7 steps in which whole transformation is completed through out the wind approach to the coast and last converted into dry winds.

Overall, there are two sides of mountains: windward side and leeward side, whereas, Rainfall is crucial step for formation of rain shadow desert.

Firstly, In the sea side there are winds approach the coast and pushed upwards direction. Moreover the winds are towards at the top of the mountain their moist air are rises and become cool. Afterwards, moist air are converted into clouds form and they move towards top of the mountains and travel alongside with the windward side, when the clouds reached at the top the rain fall begin and flow towards leeward side and dry air are formed continues over mountain. At the end, dry winds reached towards inland areas and flowing towards inland and made the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a general overview of the process, but it lacks precision in describing the specific stages shown in the diagram. While the main features are identified, the explanation of the process is somewhat vague and contains inaccuracies, such as stating that 'rain fall begin' at the top of the mountain and flows towards the leeward side, which misinterprets the meteorological process of rain-shadow formation. The summary is functional but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band, as it fails to clearly contrast the moisture levels between the windward and leeward sides effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed. While cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Afterwards' are used, they are sometimes applied mechanically or incorrectly, such as the awkward transition 'whereas, Rainfall is crucial step'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final sentence where the sequence of events becomes repetitive and difficult to follow. Paragraphing is present but the internal structure of the body paragraph could be more logically sequenced to mirror the stages of the diagram.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'whole transformation is completed through out the wind approach' and 'pushed upwards direction'. The student relies on simple descriptors and struggles with precise scientific terminology related to the process (e.g., 'moist air are converted into clouds form'). To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and academic vocabulary appropriate for describing a scientific process.

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. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('moist air are converted', 'winds are approach'), incorrect article usage, and awkward sentence construction ('when the clouds reached at the top the rain fall begin'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, the lack of control over basic grammatical rules prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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