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 diagram illustrates the whole process of the formation of a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the whole process of forming rain-shadow desert is incremental. Initially, it starts from winds that approach coast from under the sea and then pushes it upwards the mountains. Followed by many steps throughout the thousand of kilometres, dry wind, which is coming from mountains, reached inland areas and creates rain-shadow desert.

First, the process of formation of rain-shadow desert starts from the surface of sea where winds approach the coast present under the sea. Subsequently, winds pushed upwards the mountains followed by rise of moist air towards mountains where air starts getting cold.

Following that, clouds will form from cold moist air which results in rainfalls. Afterwards, dry air continues over the mountains and then reached inland areas . Thereafter, rain-shadow desert is formed on the inland areas from the winds that starts travelling thousands of kilometres from the surface of a sea.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the process, from the initial sea-level winds to the formation of the desert. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision in detailing the specific geographical features shown in the diagram, such as the windward and leeward slopes of the mountain. While the overview is present, it is slightly redundant, repeating the phrase 'whole process of forming' twice. To reach a higher band, you should focus on describing the specific mechanics of the process—such as the cooling of air and the loss of moisture—more clearly, rather than just stating that the process is 'incremental'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and the progression of ideas follows the chronological order of the process. You have used a variety of cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Subsequently', 'Following that', and 'Thereafter'. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'winds that approach coast from under the sea', which is confusing. The overall structure is coherent, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using more sophisticated linking phrases that connect the cause-and-effect relationships more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'winds that approach coast from under the sea' and 'pushed upwards the mountains'. The use of 'incremental' to describe a physical process is not entirely accurate in this context. To improve, you should focus on using more precise geographical terminology, such as 'moisture-laden air', 'leeward side', or 'precipitation', rather than relying on simpler descriptions like 'rainfalls' or 'dry wind'.

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 clarity of the writing. For example, 'winds that approach coast from under the sea' lacks an article, and 'pushed upwards the mountains' is missing a preposition or correct verb form. Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'dry wind... reached inland areas' (should be 'reaches'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focusing on article usage and consistent verb tenses would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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