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 diagam illustrates the formation of a type of desert called rain-shadow desert.

Overall, there are a total of seven steps involved in the desert development.

The main features involved in the making of the desert are a sea, a coast, mountains and an inland. There is a distance of thousands of kilometres from the coast to the inland.

The process starts when the winds on the surface of the sea approach the coast. These winds are then pushed upwards from the coast and turn moist. The moist air then rises to the windward side of the mountain and cools down.

The air that has been cooled down is formed into clouds in the next step. These clouds then produce rain that falls over the mountains. As the dry air continues to move to the leeward side of the mountain it ultimately reach the inland area as dry winds after travelling a large part of the mountain downwards. At last, when all seven steps complete the rain-shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all main steps shown in the diagram regarding the formation of a rain-shadow desert. You have identified the key geographical features such as the sea, coast, mountains, and inland areas, and outlined the progression from sea winds to moisture, rainfall on the windward side, and dry air reaching the leeward side. An overview is provided, noting that there are seven steps. However, stating that 'winds... turn moist' when approaching the coast is slightly inaccurate according to typical physical processes, and the mechanical counting of steps ('when all seven steps complete') detracts from a smooth academic summary. Despite these minor points, the core information is accurately reported and fulfills the requirements of Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is generally coherent and follows a logical chronological progression from the sea to the inland area. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate the introduction, overview, and the stages of the process. However, the cohesion feels somewhat mechanical at times, relying on basic transition phrases like 'The process starts', 'In the next step', and 'At last'. Additionally, pronoun referencing could be improved; for instance, the sentence 'These winds are then pushed upwards from the coast and turn moist' is a bit abrupt. Overall organisation is clear, but smoother linking devices would elevate the response to a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating specific geographical terms like 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'moist air', and 'inland area'. However, there are minor lexical inaccuracies, such as misspelling 'diagram' as 'diagam' in the opening sentence, and awkward phrasing like 'turn moist' or 'travelling a large part of the mountain downwards'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, but it lacks the flexibility and precision of uncommon lexical items expected at higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures throughout the essay, such as 'As the dry air continues to move to the leeward side of the mountain it ultimately reach the inland area...' There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('it ultimately reach' instead of 'reaches') and awkward passive constructions ('The air that has been cooled down is formed into clouds'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though some missing commas after introductory clauses ('At last, when all seven steps complete...') are noticeable. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the grammar score from reaching Band 7.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.