Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 process of a rain-shadow desert is formed. It shows the various stages involved in the process, from how winds approach on the sea coast to dry winds reach inland areas.

Overall, it is clear that process consists of several stages, beginning with the winds approach on sea coast and ending with the formation rain-shadow desert.

Initially, winds approach on the sea costs. Following this , winds pushed the winds approach through mountain upwards. After that, when the winds reach to as innitial stage air moisture them and became coold.Once this has been compleated, cold and moisture air transfer in to clouds.

In the next stage, the cloud reached to the mountain clip and begain rain falls. Subsequently, apart from coold are the dry air continues over mountain towerds leeward side. Finally, the dry air reached inland areas, resulting in a rain-shadow desert formed on the in land area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the process, identifying the movement of air from the sea to the inland desert. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview of the causal relationships. While the main features are reported, the explanation of the 'rain-shadow' effect is slightly underdeveloped, as the connection between the cooling air and the precipitation on the windward side could be more precisely articulated. The response meets the requirements of the task but would benefit from a more sophisticated synthesis of the information provided in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Following this', and 'Subsequently'. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, the sentence 'Following this , winds pushed the winds approach through mountain upwards' is confusing due to repetitive and imprecise referencing. While the overall progression is discernible, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes forced or inaccurate, which prevents the writing from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are frequent errors in word choice and spelling that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'sea costs' (coasts), 'innitial' (initial), 'compleated' (completed), and 'mountain clip' (likely referring to the mountain peak or crest). The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic descriptors rather than more precise scientific or descriptive terminology related to meteorological processes. To improve, you should focus on accurate spelling and using more varied, topic-specific vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include incorrect verb forms ('winds pushed the winds approach'), missing articles, and awkward sentence construction ('resulting in a rain-shadow desert formed on the in land area'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence structure limits the score in this criterion.

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

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