Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13

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 natural atmospheric process by which a rain- shadow desert is produced.

Overall, the process of a rain-shadow desert consists of seven main events. Moist air from sea travels towards mountains, results in cloud formation, rainfalls on the windward side and dry air descends towards the leeward side to the inland areas. Moist air travels thousands of kilometers throughout the process.

The process starts with moist air from the sea side travels towards mountains and pressure pulls winds upwards, As the air rises it causes the air to cool and turns into clouds. clouds starts to increase, consequently precipitation occurs and start raining on the windward side of mountains. After that, the dry air rises towards the summit and moves across mountains.

The dry air then descends towards the leeward side with little or no humidity. This dry air renders the place arid as its travels thousands of kilometres on the inland areas. The air causes the place arid with no rain and leads to the formation of rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main features of the rain-shadow desert formation process. The overview provides a clear summary of the seven main events depicted in the diagram, and comparisons or sequential steps are adequately reported. The response covers how moist air travels from the sea, rises over the mountains, causes precipitation on the windward side, and finally descends as dry air to form a desert on the leeward side. While some details could be slightly more integrated, the main stages are well-selected and reported accurately, aligning comfortably with the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0 task response. Therefore, a band score of 6.5 is awarded.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and detailing the stages in chronological order. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'The process starts with', 'After that', and 'The dry air then descends' are used to guide the reader through the stages of the diagram. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel mechanical or slightly repetitive, as seen in the frequent restarting of sentences with 'The air causes...' or 'This dry air...'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, but greater flexibility in transition would elevate the score. Overall, the logical progression is clear throughout, earning a solid band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range suitable for describing a scientific process, incorporating domain-specific terms such as 'precipitation', 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'humidity', and 'arid'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'rainfalls on the windward side' (instead of 'rainfall occurs'), 'sea side' (instead of 'sea'), and 'makes the place arid' used repeatedly. Attempting less common vocabulary leads to these occasional inaccuracies, though they do not impede communication. The lexical control reflects the descriptors for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures like 'As the air rises it causes the air to cool'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text. Examples include run-on sentences and comma splices ('...mountains and pressure pulls winds upwards, As the air rises...'), missing prepositions, and verb form issues ('clouds starts to increase', 'as its travels'). While the meaning remains mostly clear despite these errors, the high frequency of basic structural inaccuracies prevents the grammar score from reaching a higher band. A band score of 5.5 is appropriate here.

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

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