Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12

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 the chronological order of the formation of rain shadow desert. When the wind approaches the coast of the sea, it is pushed upwards containing water vapors. When it reaches at the Windward side of a mountain it forms clouds.

Furthermore, rain falls subsequently on the mountain. However, dry air continues to move over the mountain downwards the Leeward side. Surprisingly when the dry wind hits the Inland thousands of kilometer away from the coast, it forms Rain shadow desert.

Overall the diagram represents the cycle of Rain shadow desert from the blow of wind arises from the sea due to the gravitational force of the moon. It also differentiates the impact of cold air and dry air. One leads to rainfall and the other leads to shadow Desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to describe the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, mentioning the wind approaching the coast, the windward side forming clouds, precipitation, and the dry air moving to the leeward side. However, the response suffers from a significant drawback in length, as it contains only 131 words, thus failing to meet the minimum requirement of 150 words. Additionally, there are some inaccurate details included that are not supported by the diagram, such as the mention of the 'gravitational force of the moon'. Due to the under-length penalty and the inclusion of minor inaccurate extraneous details, the task achievement is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text is organized into three paragraphs, providing an introduction, body, and overall summary, which establishes a basic structure. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'Overall' are used to connect ideas. However, paragraphing and logical progression are somewhat disjointed. For instance, the transition between sentences feels slightly mechanical, and phrases like 'surprisingly when the dry wind hits the Inland' lack smooth integration. Referencing is occasionally unclear, leading to an overall arrangement that is coherent at a basic level but lacks sophisticated progression and seamless flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using topic-specific terms such as 'chronological order', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'precipitation'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'blow of wind arises' instead of 'wind blowing', and the scientifically incorrect inclusion of 'gravitational force of the moon'. Word choice is sometimes restricted or imprecise, placing this response firmly in the mid-band range where communication is generally maintained despite limitations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writing includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'When the wind approaches the coast of the sea, it is pushed upwards containing water vapors.' However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including missing commas, awkward participial clauses ('pushed upwards containing water vapors'), and preposition errors ('reaches at the Windward side'). While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they occur with sufficient frequency to prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

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

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