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 given diagram shows the process of how a certain desert called rain-shadow desert comes into existence.

Overall, the process consists of a total of 7 steps. The process starts with the winds that comes from sea to approach the coast whereas, in the last step when dry wind reaches inland areas and the formation of desert is completed.

In the first step the wind from the sea approaches the coast and from the coastline wind gets pushed upward to the windward side of mountain. Subsequently, as the wind travels the moist air rises and gets cooled down as well. Moreover, that moist air forms into clouds and from those clouds rain falls.

Additionally, the mountain is thousands of kilometers wide, so it takes time for wind to reach other side. However, when the wind reached the other side, it travels to the leeward side of mountain. And when after a certain time wind dry wind reaches the inland it creates the rain-shadow desert there.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, identifying the movement of air from the sea, the ascent over the mountain, precipitation, and the resulting dry conditions on the leeward side. However, the description is somewhat superficial. The mention of '7 steps' is not clearly reflected in the text, and the explanation of the mountain's width is slightly confusing and not clearly linked to the meteorological process. To reach a higher band, you should focus on describing the causal links more precisely, such as the relationship between altitude, temperature, and moisture capacity, rather than focusing on the physical width of the mountain.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is generally coherent, with a clear introduction and a logical progression from the sea to the inland area. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Subsequently', 'Moreover', and 'Additionally' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is weak; the body of the text should be split into two distinct paragraphs to better separate the windward and leeward processes. Additionally, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing (e.g., 'that moist air') is occasionally repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear paragraph breaks would enhance the flow significantly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'inland areas'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'comes into existence' and 'from the coastline wind gets pushed'. There is also a minor error in 'dry wind reaches the inland', where 'the' is unnecessary. To improve, try to incorporate more precise scientific terminology related to the process, such as 'condensation', 'precipitation', or 'arid conditions', to show a more sophisticated command of the topic.

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 errors that occur throughout. For example, 'winds that comes' (subject-verb agreement error), 'in the last step when dry wind reaches' (fragmented structure), and 'when after a certain time wind dry wind reaches' (repetitive and ungrammatical). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure could be more varied. To achieve a higher score, you need to reduce these basic errors and aim for more consistent control over complex sentence constructions.

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

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