Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-18

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 depicts the formation of one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is clear that, this process consists of seven stages. It starts with winds approaching the coast from the sea of the one side of mountain to end with Dry winds that reach at inland areas of the another side of mountain.

This process starts from the winds approach from sea level , then, The winds then move upwards along the mountain. towards upward from the se level . This causes moist air to rise and cool. After that, Cloud formation has become on the surface. Along with Windward side. Its helped cloud to formation of the rain falls from the sky.

The rainfall covered thousesands of kilometres of the desert. Later , its converted into Dry air that continues over mountains. Following the leeward side , it changed to Dry winds that reach into inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides an overview of the rain-shadow desert formation process, identifying the main stages from moist air rising to the creation of dry winds. However, the description is somewhat superficial and lacks precision in technical detail. For instance, the explanation of cloud formation and the transition from the windward to the leeward side is vague and slightly confusing. While the main features are covered, the relationship between the stages could be more clearly articulated to show a deeper understanding of the diagram. The summary is functional but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'After that, Cloud formation has become on the surface' and 'Along with Windward side' feel disjointed and do not flow naturally. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between sentences lacks the sophistication needed for higher bands. While there is an overall attempt at a logical sequence, the internal cohesion within paragraphs is frequently faulty, which occasionally hinders the clarity of the explanation.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms such as 'winds', 'mountain', and 'dry'. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'Cloud formation has become on the surface' and 'Its helped cloud to formation of the rain'. These errors indicate a lack of control over more precise scientific terminology. While the meaning is generally understandable, the range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe the process with the necessary precision or variety expected at higher levels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a high frequency of grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('Cloud formation has become'), incorrect preposition usage ('reach at inland areas'), and awkward sentence structures ('towards upward from the se level'). There is a lack of control over complex sentence forms, and the errors often distract the reader. While some simple sentences are error-free, the overall grammatical control is weak, and the frequent errors in basic syntax and punctuation prevent the text from achieving a higher score.

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

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