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)

This diagram provides data about the steps of the formation of the rain shadow deserts.

Overall, this type of desert is formed due to the presence of coastal mountains between the inland and the sea and due to multiple factors.

This process starts from the sea and goes on for thousands of kilometers passng by the coast, the windward area and the Leeward side until reaching the inland. Everything starts with the two first steps: winds approaching the coast and being pushed forward restpectively. Consequently, near the windward side, moist air rises and cools forming clouds making the two next steps.

When the fifth step occurs represented with rain falls, dry winds continues over the mountain leaving the Leeward side behind and reaching the inland area, marking the sixth and last steps. And that is the natural occurring process behind how this unique type of deserts, the Rain-shadow desert, is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student covers the main features of the diagram illustrating the formation of a rain-shadow desert, tracing the progression from the sea, across the coastal mountains, to the leeward side and inland. However, the response heavily relies on mechanical referencing of the numbered steps in the diagram (e.g., 'the two first steps', 'making the two next steps', 'represented with rain falls', 'marking the sixth and last steps') rather than fully synthesizing and reporting the process in fluid prose. This leads to under-developed descriptions of the actual meteorological phenomena occurring at each stage. While the overall trend is captured, the heavy reliance on diagram numbering rather than natural geographical description places this performance squarely in Band 5.5, as the task is addressed only partially in terms of conceptual reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text features a clear overall arrangement with an introductory sentence, a brief overview, and a concluding remark. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, as the response is essentially structured as a single block of text after the introduction. Cohesive devices are used, but their management is at times faulty and mechanical, such as 'Everything starts with the two first steps' and 'And that is the natural occurring process'. Referencing is also somewhat repetitive and unclear when tying specific stages to the visual elements of the diagram. Progression is present because the steps follow a chronological sequence, but the lack of distinct paragraphs and mechanical transitions keep this criterion at a Band 5.5 level.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully employing topic-specific terms such as 'coastal mountains', 'windward area', 'Leeward side', 'moist air', and 'dry winds'. However, there are notable word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'passng' instead of 'passing', 'restpectively' instead of 'respectively', and 'natural occurring' instead of 'naturally occurring'. The range is sufficient to communicate the basic meaning of the diagram, but attempts at less common vocabulary are somewhat restricted and marred by these persistent mechanical and lexical slips, aligning with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'When the fifth step occurs represented with rain falls, dry winds continues over the mountain leaving the Leeward side behind...'. However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation lapses, including subject-verb agreement issues ('dry winds continues'), awkward participial phrases ('represented with rain falls'), and missing commas that obscure the flow. While communication is not severely impeded and the meaning can be parsed, the frequency of grammatical slips in complex structures prevents the response from reaching a higher band, making Band 5.5 an accurate reflection of control.

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

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