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 given illustration shows how a specific type of desert known as the rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, it involves seven basic steps involving the arrival of winds at the sea and ending when the dry winds reach inland areas.

Initially high speed winds approach the low level sea coast from where the winds are raised and are pushed upwards. Moving further up the mountains the air cools however now contains the water residues and is referred to as moist air. Clouds are formed later on the Windward side but when the clouds reach the top of the mountain the water content in the clouds exceeds , nearly impossible to hold it in . This leads to formation of dark dense black clouds and the water falls down as rain.

Next the dry air continues to move down the mountain mainly known as the Leeward side. The dry air has to travel a large distance down this side mainly to enter the inland areas which is the final step of formation of Rain-shadow desert.

The process starting from the sea coast and ending at the inland areas occurs at a distance of about thousands of kilometres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the diagram, identifying the key stages from the sea to the inland area. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the process is described, the connection between the physical geography (the mountain) and the meteorological changes is slightly under-developed. The mention of 'thousands of kilometres' is a specific detail, but the response could have been improved by better highlighting the contrast between the 'Windward' and 'Leeward' sides, which is central to the concept of a rain-shadow desert. Overall, it addresses the task requirements adequately but lacks the depth of analysis expected for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression from the start of the process to the end. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Next', and 'however' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit repetitive or mechanical. The paragraphing is functional, but the flow between the description of cloud formation and the movement of air could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though the sentence structure occasionally makes the progression feel slightly disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'Windward', 'Leeward', 'moist air', and 'residues' used correctly. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'water residues' (which is not a standard meteorological term) and 'nearly impossible to hold it in', which sounds informal. The range is sufficient to convey the process, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band. The use of 'high speed winds' and 'dark dense black clouds' is somewhat simplistic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the arrival of winds at the sea and ending when the dry winds reach inland areas' (lacks parallel structure) and 'the water content in the clouds exceeds , nearly impossible to hold it in' (punctuation error and awkward phrasing). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The control over punctuation and sentence boundaries needs improvement to ensure a more professional tone.

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

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