Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-03

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 significantly illustrates how a type of desert which is known as a rain shadow desert is formed. At a simple glance, one can make out that this is a geographical process which has around 7 natural happenings.

Sea breeze plays an introductory role here, the winds which approach coast from the sea will be pushed upward as a natural event. As the wind is backed by enough speed it will pushed upwards. Furthermore, when it reaches an altitude, the air gets moisturized and rises and also cools down. This compound then forms into clouds at certain altitude. When these clouds release the moist in the form of water it rains. Moreover, a mountain acts as a wall between a sea and inland. These processes take between mountains.

As the dry air moves over mountain downwards, the wind gets dried and with no moisture, the winds reach inland areas making it a rain-shadowed desert.

The reason why its called a rain-shadowed desert is because the rain occurs near the mountains and there is no moist in air which makes the inland become a large area which faces drought

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 process. However, the description of the process is somewhat inaccurate and lacks the precision required for a Band 7. For example, stating that 'the air gets moisturized' as it rises is scientifically incorrect in the context of the diagram, which shows moisture being lost. Additionally, the explanation of the '7 natural happenings' is not clearly linked to the visual data. While the main features are identified, the lack of clarity in explaining the causal relationship between the mountain barrier and the resulting dry inland area limits the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly confusing. Phrases like 'At a simple glance' and 'This compound then forms' feel forced or imprecise. The logical progression is present but occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'These processes take between mountains,' which is unclear. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the flow between sentences could be improved to better connect the stages of the geographical process described in the diagram.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and sophistication expected at higher bands. There are several instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'moisturized' (when describing air losing moisture) and 'natural happenings' (a vague term for a geographical process). The phrase 'no moist in air' is also non-standard; 'moisture' would be the correct noun. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'altitude' and 'rain-shadowed,' the overall range is limited, and the errors in word formation occasionally hinder the clarity of the explanation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. Examples include 'the winds which approach coast' (missing article), 'it will pushed upwards' (incorrect verb form), and 'the reason why its called' (missing apostrophe). Additionally, 'the moist' is used incorrectly as a noun instead of 'moisture.' While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the response from reaching a higher band score.

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

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