Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-25

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 process involved in the formation of rain shadow desert, the process starting with approaching winds in the coast and ending with dry winds reach inland areas.

Overall, it is clear that the whole process consists 7 main stages beginning with winds approaching coast and ending with dry winds reach inland areas. These include winds pushed upwards,clouds form and many other stages before forming the rain shadow deserts.

On the opening stage, winds approach to the coast from sea ,followed this winds pushed upwords though the mointian. After which moist air rises in the winds and cooling it for making the clouds on the windward side of the mointain.. After the cloud has been formed the next stage take place, where rain started to fall on the top of the mountain.

In the next stage, on the leeward side the dry air continues passing over the mountain. After this stage has been completed the dry winds reach inland areas where rain shadow desert is formed. Overall the process take lot of time and winds has to travel thousands of kilometres to complete the full process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, from the initial wind movement to the final inland desert state. However, the description is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the introduction and the second paragraph, where the same points are restated. While the key features are identified, the explanation lacks technical precision and depth. For instance, the transition from moist air to dry air is described simply, missing the opportunity to explain the meteorological shift more clearly. The summary is adequate, but it could be improved by focusing more on the causal relationships between the stages rather than just listing them.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive, with phrases like 'In the next stage' and 'After this stage' appearing frequently. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'followed this winds pushed upwords', where the connection between clauses is weak. While there is a logical progression, the flow between sentences could be smoother and more varied to improve the overall readability of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is limited and contains several spelling errors, such as 'mointian' and 'upwords'. There is also a lack of precise terminology related to the process, such as 'windward' and 'leeward' being used but not fully integrated into a sophisticated explanation. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or precision required for a higher band score. Improving spelling and using more specific scientific terminology would significantly enhance this section.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'the process starting with approaching winds' (missing auxiliary verb), 'winds approach to the coast' (incorrect preposition), and 'the process take lot of time' (subject-verb agreement and article usage). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with accurate verb forms.

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