Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-01
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 represents how the rain-shadow desert is formed. The sea, mountains and wind play a major role in its formation. The water drops pass through different stages, starting from the sea and ending up in the desert forming rain-shadow desert. Initially, the winds approach the coast and push the water drops upwards. Moist air rises and cools as it reaches the top, and right after it reaches the windward, the water drops combine and form clouds. At the top of the mountain, it starts raining due to high altitude and low temperature. This process takes a lot of time because the mountains are thousands of kilometers wide and are of high altitude. The dry air continues over the mountain and carries the rain drops across Leeward side. Finally, the dry winds reach inland areas and form a Rain-shadow desert. In this desert, the rain drops are captured underground and are scattered across the land.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main stages of the process, from the sea to the formation of the rain-shadow desert. However, the description is somewhat simplistic and lacks a clear overview or summary of the key features. While the sequence is logical, the explanation of the scientific process is slightly inaccurate in places, such as the claim that 'water drops' are pushed upwards, rather than moist air. To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between the windward and leeward sides and provide a more precise summary of the transformation of air moisture into precipitation. The response is a bit repetitive, and some details, like the mention of mountains being 'thousands of kilometers wide', are not supported by the diagram.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is coherent and follows a logical chronological order, moving from the sea to the inland desert. Paragraphing is absent, which is a significant issue for a report of this nature; even a short response should be structured into at least two paragraphs to separate the initial process from the final outcome. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Initially', 'At the top', and 'Finally', which help guide the reader. However, the flow is somewhat mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure the text is divided into logical paragraphs to improve the overall structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'water drops' and 'play a major role', which are somewhat imprecise in a scientific context. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'windward', 'leeward', and 'inland', which is positive. However, the phrasing is occasionally unnatural, such as 'the dry air continues over the mountain and carries the rain drops across Leeward side'. To improve, focus on using more precise scientific terminology and collocations related to weather and geography to demonstrate a more sophisticated range of vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'the rain-shadow desert is formed' should be 'a rain-shadow desert is formed' (as it is a general process), and 'across Leeward side' is missing an article ('the'). Additionally, the sentence 'This process takes a lot of time because the mountains are thousands of kilometers wide' is a bit clunky. The control of grammar is generally sufficient to communicate the message, but more variety in sentence structure and greater attention to articles and prepositions would enhance the quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.