Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05

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 how air current plays a vital role in creation of shadow deserts around the globe.

Overall, the process consists of several stages, beginning with the wind getting moist as it passes along the sea, and gradually rising and forming rain clouds, ending with dry winds reaching the inland areas.

Initially, wind blows from the windward side of the sea making air damper, it rises along the mountain, as it gathers it start to form clouds, these clouds turn into rain clouds once it reaches the peak of mountains, and rain cloud burst rain on top of the mountain.

Once this stage completes clouds disappear, and winds blow from peak of mountain to leeward side to lower areas which are at sea level, these winds are completely dry, due to which inland area become humid forming into shadow desert, finally desert formation takes a lot of time and air passing from sea almost travels thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, from the initial moist air movement to the final dry conditions on the leeward side. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical overview of the key contrast between the windward and leeward sides. While the main features are identified, the explanation of the 'rain-shadow' effect itself is slightly muddled, particularly the claim that inland areas become 'humid'—this is factually incorrect in the context of a rain-shadow desert, which is defined by aridity. The response would benefit from more precise terminology and a clearer distinction between the two sides of the mountain range.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into two paragraphs, but the internal structure is weak. The second paragraph is a long, run-on sequence of clauses connected primarily by commas, which makes the progression of ideas feel mechanical and repetitive. There is a lack of varied cohesive devices; for example, the overuse of 'as' and 'once' creates a monotonous flow. While the overall sequence follows the diagram, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the use of 'these' and 'it' without precise antecedents. To improve, you should use a wider range of linking words and break down long, comma-spliced sentences into distinct, logically connected points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use basic terms like 'wind blows' and 'rain cloud burst', which are functional but not academic. There are also issues with word choice, such as describing the inland area as 'humid' when the process actually results in an arid or dry environment. Phrases like 'creation of shadow deserts' could be more sophisticated, such as 'the formation of rain-shadow deserts'. To improve, focus on using more precise scientific terminology related to meteorology and geography, and ensure your word choices accurately reflect the information presented in the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures and comma splices. Many sentences are grammatically incorrect, such as 'as it gathers it start to form clouds' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'rain cloud burst rain' (awkward phrasing). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the punctuation is inconsistent, with many clauses joined incorrectly by commas rather than conjunctions or semicolons. Frequent errors in articles (e.g., 'along the sea', 'on top of the mountain') and verb forms hinder the clarity of the writing. Focusing on sentence variety and correcting basic subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your score.

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

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