Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-02
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 development of rain-shadow deserts thousands of kilometers away from a sea.
From an overall perspective, it is readily evident that the sea plays a significant role in the whole process, which includes multiple stages, starting with the winds flow from a sea coast and ending with the formation of a particular desert by dry winds.
Probing further, winds are formed at the coast, then pushed upwards through windward side of the mountains. The moist air then rises and cools to form clouds. Moving further, the clouds are responsible for rainfall. On the other side of the mountain, which is around thousands of kilometers away from the sea takes place in the further process. Then, dry air continues over leeward side of it and reaches the inland areas opposite to the sea. As a result, rain-shadow desert forms due to flow of the dry winds over the surface of inland.
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 rain-shadow desert formation process, from the initial moisture-laden winds at the coast to the final arid conditions on the leeward side. The overview is clear and identifies the key role of the sea and the mountain barrier. However, the description of the process is somewhat simplified. For instance, the phrase 'around thousands of kilometers away from the sea takes place in the further process' is confusing and lacks clarity regarding the spatial relationship between the mountain and the desert. While the main features are reported, the explanation of the physical mechanism (the cooling of air and the resulting precipitation) could be more precise to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 7 response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into a logical sequence, moving from the coast to the mountain and finally to the inland desert. Cohesive devices such as 'From an overall perspective', 'Probing further', and 'As a result' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Moving further' and the aforementioned sentence regarding the distance from the sea. Paragraphing is present, but the body paragraph is quite dense. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the lack of sophisticated linking between the stages of the process keeps this at a Band 6 level.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'moist air' correctly. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, but some phrasing is unnatural or imprecise, such as 'winds are formed at the coast' (winds are typically generated by pressure differences rather than formed at a coast) and 'the whole process, which includes multiple stages'. The repetition of 'winds' and 'sea' suggests a limited range. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on more precise scientific collocations and avoid repetitive sentence structures.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that affect the flow, such as 'winds flow from a sea coast' (should be 'winds flowing') and 'rain-shadow desert forms due to flow of the dry winds' (missing articles). The sentence 'On the other side of the mountain, which is around thousands of kilometers away from the sea takes place in the further process' is grammatically incoherent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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