Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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)

This illustration displays the process of formation of a rain-shadow desert, thousands of miles away from the sea.

This is a natural process that takes place in a linear fashion in seven different stages starting with the moist winds from the seacoasts and ends at the dry desert inlands.

At first, winds approach the coast from the sea. Then the sea winds are pushed upward by high pressure towards the top of the mountains. As the moist sea air goes up, it cools down and later take the form of clouds on the top if the mountain ranges. These clouds cause the rain fall.

On the leeward side of the mountains, the dry air from the rainfall continues over the mountains and then reach the inland area which is thousands of miles away from the coast where the wind started. These dry winds from the rain on top of the mountains form the Rain-shadow desert.

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 effect from the moist sea air to the formation of the desert. However, the description is somewhat simplistic and lacks a clear overview or summary of the process as a whole. While the stages are mentioned, the explanation of the 'rain-shadow' mechanism itself could be more precise, particularly regarding the transition from the windward to the leeward side of the mountain. The response addresses the prompt, but the lack of a distinct overview paragraph and the limited depth in explaining the scientific process prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, following the chronological flow of the process. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction from the body, though the body paragraphs could be better structured to distinguish between the windward and leeward sides of the mountain. Cohesive devices such as 'At first', 'Then', and 'On the leeward side' are used to guide the reader, but the flow is occasionally mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the cooling of air and the formation of clouds could be smoother to improve the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'moist winds', 'seacoasts', 'leeward side', and 'mountain ranges'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. There are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'rain fall' (should be 'rainfall') and 'take the form of clouds on the top if the mountain' (should be 'of the mountain'). To achieve a higher score, the student should incorporate more precise scientific terminology related to meteorology and geography to demonstrate a wider, more flexible 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 errors, such as 'the process of formation of a rain-shadow desert' (clunky phrasing), 'take the form of clouds' (subject-verb agreement error: 'takes'), and 'reach the inland area' (subject-verb agreement error: 'reaches'). Punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence variety is limited. The errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more varied sentence structures would improve the accuracy.

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

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