Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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 image shows the formation of rain shadow deserts in seven steps,how the wind approaches from the sea carring water vapours, it rains on the mountain top, dry winds reach the inland areas and form rain shadow.

From the sea coast fast winds reach to mountains after collision, air is forced upwards due to which moist air rises at a height and cool down, when air reaches to a certain height, moist air becomes dense and form cloud, due to fast air blowing clouds keep on rising at stage 5 where there is a mountain peak, there clouds start showering the rain, after that dry air forms which continue over the mountain and get on other side of the sea, windward side is the sea side while the side opposite of it is called leeward side, in leeward side dry air descends and reaches to inland areas, There that air forms rain shadows

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main steps in the diagram from the winds approaching the coast to the formation of the rain-shadow desert. However, the information is presented in a single, dense block of text without a clear overview or paragraph structure. While the student identifies key stages such as moist air rising, cloud formation, and precipitation on the windward side followed by dry conditions on the leeward side, the overall reporting lacks a well-defined structure. To reach a higher band, the writer should group the process logically into distinct stages—such as the initial ascent and precipitation, followed by the descent and rain-shadow effect—and include an introductory overview sentence highlighting the overall mechanism.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text suffers from a lack of paragraphing, appearing as one continuous run-on sentence structure connected primarily by commas. This creates a comma-splice heavy style (e.g., 'air is forced upwards due to which moist air rises at a height and cool down, when air reaches to a certain height...'). Cohesive devices are either missing or misused, relying on repetitive comma linkages rather than formal conjunctions or transition markers. Although there is a chronological progression following the steps in the diagram, the poor formatting and lack of clear sentence boundaries significantly hinder the overall flow and readability of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is moderately adequate for describing the process, incorporating some topic-specific terms from the diagram such as 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'rain shadow'. However, there are notable word-form and collocation errors, such as 'carring water vapours' (carrying water vapour) and 'get on other side of the sea' (pass to the other side of the mountains). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, and spelling slips ('carring') slightly detract from the overall impression. More precise lexical choices would enhance the clarity and sophistication of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammatical structure is characterized by heavy run-on sentences joined by commas rather than proper coordination or subordination. There are frequent errors in verb tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and clause structure, such as 'air rises at a height and cool down' and 'there clouds start showering the rain'. Complex structures are attempted but are generally faulty due to punctuation and syntactic issues. While the meaning can mostly be understood despite the grammatical strain, the high frequency of basic errors places this response firmly in the Band 5 range for grammar.

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

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