Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17

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 below diagram illustrates the formation of a rain-shadow desert where the winds and mountains altitude play a significant role.

There are numerous steps involved in the formation of these deserts. It starts from the winds approaching the coast from the sea surface moving upwards at high altitude while passing the mountains and eventually reachs the inland area.

The intial stage begins with the winds approaching the coast from the sea and further then being pushed upward towards the mountains that usually range thousands of kilometers . After this the moist air cools downs at the windward side of the mountain resulting in the formation of clouds. At the peak after the rain falls, this dry air continues over the mountains and moves downward at the leeward side of the mountian. At last, these dry winds reach the inland areas where this dessert is accumulated, thus forming the rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all key stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process shown in the diagram, from the initial winds approaching the coast from the sea to the dry winds reaching inland areas. The student provides a clear overview in the introduction and mentions crucial geographical features such as the windward and leeward sides of the mountains, as well as the thousands of kilometres scale. Although the description is relatively concise, all main features are accurately identified and reported without any significant omissions. Therefore, the response meets the requirements of the task effectively, achieving a solid band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is arranged logically with an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph that follows the sequential steps of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'After this', 'At the peak after the rain falls', and 'At last' are used to guide the reader through the stages of the process. Paragraphing is generally appropriate, though the second and third paragraphs could have been structured slightly better to separate the introduction of steps from the detailed progression. Nevertheless, the logical organisation and progression are clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, incorporating appropriate geographical terms such as 'coast', 'winds', 'moisture', 'clouds', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'inland areas'. However, there are a few lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'winds and mountains altitude' instead of 'altitude of the winds and mountains', 'cools downs' instead of 'cools down', and 'dessert' instead of 'desert'. While the student attempts less common vocabulary, these slips indicate a Band 6 level where vocabulary is functional but contains noticeable inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The below diagram illustrates the formation of a rain-shadow desert where the winds and mountains altitude play a significant role.' However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement errors ('eventually reachs' instead of 'reaches'), spelling and word-form errors ('intial' instead of 'initial'), and missing articles or prepositions. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

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.