Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-06

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 depicts the making of rain-shadow deserts which is the type of the desert.

Overall, the processes of rain shadow require 7 steps for the formation. Starting from winds that approaches the coast, then winds are move in upward motion where moist air rises and cools, after that the cool air helps in the formation of clouds. When clouds are made it starts raining. Once the rain happened, dry air continues to flow over mountain, where dry wind reaches the inland areas.

The winds from sea and coast are moved in upward direction on the windward side of the mountain. When wind start moving up it becomes cold and moist that cool and moist air helps in cloud creation. Once clouds are formed it starts raining, when it stopped raining dry wind continues over the mountain and start moving in Leeward side of the mountain in the downward motion. The dry winds then reach the inland areas of dessert where it starts spreading the cool breeze all over the inland rain-shadow dessert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, identifying the movement of air from the coast to the inland areas. However, the description is somewhat repetitive, as the second paragraph essentially restates the information provided in the first. To reach a higher band, you should focus on synthesizing the information more effectively rather than repeating the sequence. While the key features are present, the overview could be more analytical by highlighting the contrast between the windward and leeward sides more clearly. The response is accurate in its interpretation of the diagram, but the development of ideas is slightly hindered by the redundant structure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into an introduction and two body paragraphs, which provides a basic logical structure. However, the progression of ideas is weakened by the repetition between the two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Starting from', 'after that', and 'Once', but they are somewhat mechanical and repetitive. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'the type of the desert' in the introduction, which lacks specific context. Improving the flow between sentences and avoiding redundant restatements would significantly enhance the coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. You rely on basic verbs like 'move', 'start', and 'made'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'the making of rain-shadow deserts' (a process is usually described as 'formation' or 'development') and 'spreading the cool breeze' (which is factually inaccurate based on the diagram, as the air is dry). To improve, try to incorporate more technical terminology related to geography and meteorology, such as 'precipitation', 'condensation', or 'arid'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'winds that approaches' (subject-verb agreement), 'winds are move' (incorrect passive voice), and 'inland rain-shadow dessert' (spelling error: 'desert' vs 'dessert'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'in upward motion' instead of 'in an upward motion'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall clarity and professional tone of the writing.

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

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