Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-07
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 graphical diagram illustrate how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed. I shall explain it in step by step process with each effect occurs afterwards.
Starting it with the mountains and sea and surrounded area, it plays a major role to form a rain-shadow desert. The wind flow coming across the sea side comes near the coastal area of it and it is pushing upward side due to the obstacle like bigger mountains. After reaching at the certain height of the mountain winds will be converted into moist air and parallelly the temperature of the winds, will be fall down. This height is the area is called windward side of the mountains. Following it to further level, it will be converted into the clouds and it will be form into the rainfall.
Coming to the other side of the mountains, the leeward side is exists at the certain level of height, where dry air will continuous went down to the down part of the mountains.
To conclude the rain-shadow desert effect, the dry winds which are coming from the top and once it reaches into the inland area, the rain-shadow desert effect is take place.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation, identifying the windward and leeward sides. However, the description is somewhat imprecise and lacks a clear overview of the process. The student focuses on individual steps but fails to synthesize the information into a cohesive summary of the phenomenon. Some details are slightly inaccurate or confusing, such as the claim that winds 'convert into moist air' at a certain height, which misrepresents the cooling and condensation process. To improve, ensure you provide a clear summary of the overall process in the introduction and use more precise terminology to describe the meteorological changes depicted in the diagram.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or awkward, such as 'Starting it with...' and 'Following it to further level...'. The logical flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors, making the progression feel disjointed. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when referring to 'the other side' or 'the inland area'. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words more naturally and ensure that each sentence logically connects to the one preceding it.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There is a reliance on basic phrasing, such as 'bigger mountains' and 'down part of the mountains'. Some word choices are unnatural or incorrect, such as 'parallelly' and 'the rain-shadow desert effect is take place'. While the student attempts to use technical terms like 'windward' and 'leeward', the surrounding context is often imprecise. To improve, focus on learning collocations related to geography and climate, and avoid translating directly from your native language, which leads to awkward phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The graphical diagram illustrate' (subject-verb agreement), 'the leeward side is exists' (incorrect verb form), and 'dry air will continuous went down' (incorrect tense and word form). These errors are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency. Proofreading for common slips, such as missing articles or incorrect verb forms, would significantly enhance the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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