Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 image shows a rain shadow desert landscape where it represents how it is formed from wind approaching the coast through the time when rain falls and finally the formation of rain shadow desert when dry winds reach inland. This process occurs on mountains which spans thousands of kilometers and are usually the v shaped leaps through which the winds coming from sea moves upwards, forming moist air which result in cloud formation and with the occurrence of rain, the dry air follows through the leeward side of mountains reaching inland areas resulting in rain shadow desert. this whole process spans 7 processes in opposite directions. The windward direction coming from left caters moist wind and leeward side going right caters dry winds, converting moist air into rain and remaining dry air to from the rain shadow desert

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 score. While the main features of the diagram are identified—the windward side, cloud formation, and the leeward rain-shadow effect—the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks the analytical depth required for a high band. The explanation of the seven processes is vague and does not clearly articulate the sequence or the causal relationships between the mountain topography and the climate change. To improve, you should provide a more structured overview and ensure that all key stages are described with greater precision and detail to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is written as a single paragraph, which hinders the logical flow and readability. There is a lack of effective paragraphing to separate the introduction from the body of the report. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'finally' and 'resulting in', the connection between sentences is often mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the process clearly. Using a wider range of linking words and organizing the information into distinct paragraphs (e.g., an overview followed by a detailed description) would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. You rely on basic terms like 'shows', 'formed', and 'moves'. Phrases such as 'v shaped leaps' are inaccurate in this context, and there are minor errors in word choice, such as 'caters moist wind' instead of 'carries moist air'. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate more subject-specific terminology related to geography and meteorology, such as 'prevailing winds', 'precipitation', 'topography', and 'arid conditions', while ensuring they are used in the correct collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'the image shows a rain shadow desert landscape where it represents how it is formed' is wordy and awkward. There are also issues with punctuation, such as missing capital letters at the start of sentences and a lack of commas to separate clauses. Subject-verb agreement and preposition usage also need attention (e.g., 'to from the rain shadow desert'). Focusing on sentence variety and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.

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

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