Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14

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 formation of a rain shadow deserts, in a journey of thousands of kilometers.

Overall, the rain shadow desert is formed in seven different steps, after covering the distance of thousands of kilometers. These seven steps includes, the process of formation of winds from coastal region of sea towards the formation of clouds and resulting the rain in the Windward side and transfering of dry air to the Leeward side, which later results in the formation of rain shadow desert.

In the first step of formation of the rain-shadow desert, the winds started rising from the coastal region of the sea which pushes upward to the mountains, while travelling upward the moist air begins to cool down which results in the formation of clouds in the Windward side. Later when these clouds become fully prepared, it started rainning on the Windward side of the mountain. In the sixth step, after rainning on the top of mountains, the dry air started moving forwards to the Leeward side of the mountain, at the end these dry winds reach towards the inland areas which results in the formation of Rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, moving from the coastal sea winds up the windward side and across to the leeward side. However, the explanation lacks precise detail and contains inaccuracies regarding the sequence. For example, the student states there are 'seven different steps' and specifically mentions a 'sixth step', yet these do not align clearly with standard process reporting for Task 1 diagrams. While an overview is attempted, key features such as precipitation, cloud formation, and the creation of dry air masses are described in a somewhat generalised and repetitive manner. It partially satisfies the requirements, earning a band score of 5.5 because the overview and main features are identified, but development is limited and slightly confused.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text is organized into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph. However, the internal cohesion and logical progression are frequently disrupted by mechanical and repetitive transitions such as 'In the first step', 'Later when', and 'In the sixth step'. The progression from the coastal region to the leeward side is attempted, but referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with pronoun use ('it started rainning') and transitions between clauses. Paragraphing is present, but the body of the response is condensed into a single run-on paragraph rather than being logically broken down into distinct stages of the cycle, resulting in a Band 5.5 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for a basic summary but lacks precision and range. The student successfully employs terms such as 'coastal region', 'moist air', 'windward side', and 'leeward side' directly from the prompt or standard geographical contexts. However, there are noticeable word-choice and spelling errors, such as 'deserts' instead of 'desert', 'rainning' instead of 'raining', and 'transfering' instead of 'transferring'. Attempts to use more complex terminology are limited, and the vocabulary is occasionally repetitive, restricting the score to a band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response exhibits a limited range of grammatical structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences using relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'while travelling upward the moist air begins to cool down'), these constructions frequently contain errors in punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and tense consistency. For instance, the text shifts awkwardly between present and past tenses ('the winds started rising', 'the rain shadow desert is formed', 'it started rainning'). Frequent punctuation errors, including comma splices and run-on sentences, impede readability and restrict the overall control to a band 5.0.

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.