Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-08

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 figure illustrates the information about how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Moreover, the highlight features of the image is sea, coast, rain-shadow desert, windward side and leeward side.

At the fleeting glance, the initial stage is wind approach coast from sea, the next step is wind pushed upwards toward the mountain which is windward side. After that, moist air increases and cools, which further turns into clouds.

Moving ahead, the rain starts on the surface of mountain, following this, dry air continues over mountain, which is leeward side. Then, dry winds reach island areas, which is also known as rain shadow desert.

Overall, the first step of the image is wind approach coast and the last step is dry winds reach island areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While the student identifies the main stages of the process, the description is quite brief and lacks the necessary detail to fully explain the scientific mechanism shown in the diagram. For instance, the explanation of how moist air cools and forms clouds is overly simplified. To improve, the student should expand on the causal relationships between the wind, the mountain topography, and the resulting climate conditions to provide a more comprehensive summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response uses basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'At the fleeting glance', 'Moving ahead', and 'Overall'. While these help to structure the text, the flow is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. The paragraphing is present, but the sentences within the paragraphs are often short and lack sophisticated linking. The progression of ideas is logical, following the sequence of the diagram, but the overall structure feels underdeveloped due to the brevity of the response. Improving the variety of transition words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range expected at higher bands. Phrases like 'highlight features' and 'wind approach coast' are slightly unnatural or grammatically awkward. The student uses basic terminology such as 'sea', 'coast', and 'clouds', but misses opportunities to use more academic vocabulary related to geography or meteorology, such as 'prevailing winds', 'topographical barrier', or 'precipitation'. The word choice is generally functional but lacks the flexibility needed to describe a scientific process with precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains several grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. For example, 'the highlight features of the image is' should be 'are', and 'wind approach coast' lacks the necessary articles or verb conjugation ('winds approach the coast'). There is a reliance on simple sentence structures, and the attempt at complex sentences is often marred by errors, such as 'the next step is wind pushed upwards', which is missing a relative pronoun or auxiliary verb. Greater attention to subject-verb agreement and the use of articles is required.

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

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