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 given diagram shows the process of how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall, the formation procedure of Rain-shadow deserts goes through numerous steps from the sea coast which covers thousands of kilometers and where it begins upward movement from the sea to the top of the mountain then afterwards a downward slope which inculde two major steps respectively.

From the provided visual representation it can be obsreved that the formation of rain-shadow deserts takes place from one end to another end of a huge mountain which covers a wide area. Additonally, the left hand side is called Windward and the right side as Leeward. Whereas, the very first step is Wind approach coast starts over the sea which pushes the wind upwards that helps to turn the same into the moist air in order to form clouds then finally rain showers at the top of the mountain. Simultaneously, on the other side of the mountain dry air continues that reaches to inland areas end up making Rain-shadow deserts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully addresses the main features of the diagram illustrating the formation of a rain-shadow desert. The response correctly identifies key stages such as the moist air rising from the sea, the cooling process on the windward side, cloud formation, precipitation, and the resulting dry air creating a rain-shadow desert on the leeward inland side. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, capturing the main geographical transition from sea to inland. However, the overview is somewhat convoluted and lacks succinctness. While all parts of the prompt are covered, the development of ideas could be more polished to reach higher bands. Therefore, a band score of 6.0 is appropriate as it adequately addresses all parts of the task with relevant, though slightly underdeveloped, ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into three paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. However, the overall progression is hindered by lengthy, run-on sentences, particularly in the second and third paragraphs. For example, the sentence beginning with 'From the provided visual representation...' is overly long and crams multiple separate ideas together, making it difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'Additionally', 'Whereas', 'Simultaneously'), but their application is sometimes awkward or mechanically forced. Paragraphing separates the introduction, overview, and details, but internal cohesion within the sentences requires refinement. This places the response firmly at Band 5.5 to 6.0; a score of 5.5 reflects the frequent strain caused by poor sentence structuring and mechanical cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully employing process-related terms and geographical labels such as 'moist air', 'windward', 'leeward', 'inland areas', and 'rain-shadow deserts'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('obsreved', 'Additonally', 'inculde') and occasional word-choice inaccuracies (e.g., 'formation procedure of Rain-shadow deserts goes through numerous steps' rather than stages). Less common lexical items are attempted, but control is inconsistent. Because the errors do not impede overall communication but are noticeable and affect precision, the lexical resource is characteristic of Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak. The text suffers from serious run-on sentence construction. For instance, the entire third paragraph essentially consists of just two very long, convoluted sentences that lack proper punctuation and clunkily string clauses together using coordinating conjunctions and participial phrases (e.g., '...which pushes the wind upwards that helps to turn the same into the moist air in order to form clouds then finally rain showers at the top of the mountain'). There are frequent errors in clause structure and punctuation that cause difficulty for the reader, placing the grammar at a Band 5.0.

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

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