Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-24

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 layout of the formation of rain-shadow deserts. It contains total seven steps. The major steps include: Winds approach, formation of clouds, and as a result dry winds reached to island areas.

Firstly, Winds approached coast from the sea then they pushed themselves to the higher level of the mountains. Moist air rises and cooled to form clouds at the windward side. After the formation of Clouds converted into rain drops that falls down. Once rain fall occurred the dry air continues over mountain moved downward to the Leeward side. The formation of rain-shadow process formed under the thousands of kilometers. Water from mountains came to us through different channels of rivers, drought and many more. We consumed that water for drinking purpose and for washing and many other. When the rain reached over the mountains then Dry winds reached inland areas. We can see tiny particles that are spread over the Inland that are named as Rain-Shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation, such as the wind approaching the mountain, the cooling of moist air, and the resulting dry conditions on the leeward side. However, the response includes irrelevant information, such as how humans consume water from rivers, which is not depicted in the diagram. The description of the process is somewhat disjointed and lacks a clear overview of the entire mechanism. To improve, focus strictly on the visual data provided and ensure the summary highlights the contrast between the windward and leeward sides more effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by awkward transitions and unclear referencing. For example, the phrase 'The formation of rain-shadow process formed under the thousands of kilometers' is confusing and lacks a clear connection to the previous sentence. While some cohesive devices like 'Firstly' and 'Once' are used, they are often applied mechanically. The progression of ideas is occasionally interrupted by irrelevant personal commentary, which disrupts the overall coherence of the report. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each sentence builds logically on the last will help.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'pushed themselves to the higher level' instead of 'ascend' or 'rise', and 'converted into rain drops that falls down' instead of 'precipitate'. The use of 'drought' in the context of water channels is also incorrect. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise, topic-specific terminology related to geography and meteorology, such as 'prevailing winds', 'precipitation', and 'arid conditions'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

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 ('rain fall occurred', 'winds reached'), incorrect tense usage, and awkward phrasing ('Winds approached coast from the sea then they pushed themselves'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of capital letters for common nouns like 'Clouds' and 'Inland'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction 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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