Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-20
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 given diagram illustrates the formation of rain-shadow deserts. Overall, the process demonstrates how winds from sea along coast of montains arise, undergo several changes and travel to inland areas to contribute to the production of rain-shadow deserts. Initially, at sea level, winds approch near coast at mountains are pushed upwards and form moist in air at windward side of mountains ,yet, air gets cool. In the next step, formation of clouds take place which causes rain falls. On contrast to the windward side, at leeward side, dry air begans to continue over mountains. Dry winds continue to reach inland areas located thousand of kilometres far away from sea coastline to form rain-shadow deserts.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop the description of the process. While the main features of the rain-shadow effect are identified, the explanation is too brief and lacks the necessary detail to fully cover all stages of the diagram. The summary is underdeveloped, and the lack of length prevents a thorough reporting of the key features, leading to a penalty for task completion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into a single paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of the process. While there are some attempts at cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'In the next step', and 'On contrast', the flow is somewhat mechanical. The lack of clear paragraphing and the limited length hinder the logical development of the response. To improve, you should structure your writing into clear paragraphs (e.g., an introduction, a body paragraph for the process, and a summary) to better guide the reader.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range expected at higher bands. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'winds from sea along coast of montains' and 'form moist in air'. The spelling error 'montains' and the misuse of 'On contrast' (instead of 'In contrast') detract from the overall quality. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise terminology related to geography and weather patterns, and ensure accurate word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'winds approch near coast at mountains are pushed', which lacks proper sentence structure, and 'formation of clouds take place', which has a subject-verb agreement error. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. Increasing the variety of sentence structures while ensuring accuracy in basic grammar and subject-verb agreement is essential for improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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