Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-26

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 formation process of Rain-shadow desert.

Overall, The process is a natural process that involves air , clouds and rain falls. It is clear that the process has seven steps that is started when the winds approach from the coast and is stopped by drying the winds that reached inland areas.

First of all winds approached from the sea level which was then pushed upwards. In the third step moist air is raised and then cooled. Clouds are formed from the moist and cold air that was pushed upwards. Next, rain fall on the mountains is caused by the clouds.

Consequently, dry air continued to be pushed downward from the mountains that reached the inland areas. The dry winds were responsible for the formation of Rain-shadow desert. The desert is situated thousand of kilometers away from the sea where the process started by approaching the winds upward.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the diagram, identifying the key stages of the rain-shadow effect. However, the description is somewhat simplistic and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the sequence is followed, the explanation of the process is a bit mechanical. To reach a higher band, you should focus on synthesizing the information more effectively rather than just listing the steps. For instance, explaining the relationship between the moisture loss on the windward side and the resulting aridity on the leeward side would provide a more comprehensive summary of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression from the start of the process to the final outcome. You use some cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Next', and 'Consequently' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'is stopped by drying the winds'. The use of referencing is sometimes mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more refined to better separate the overview from the detailed process description.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision. Phrases like 'natural process' and 'is caused by' are functional but basic. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'drying the winds' and 'rain fall' (should be 'rainfall'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise scientific terminology related to geography or meteorology, such as 'precipitation', 'leeward side', 'windward side', or 'moisture-laden air', which would demonstrate a wider and more sophisticated range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect clarity. For example, 'the process has seven steps that is started' contains a subject-verb agreement error, and 'winds approached from the sea level' uses an incorrect tense. Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent verb tenses and subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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