Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18
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 illustrate how a rain-shadow desert is formed by one type of desert.
Overall, the process contain 7 steps and can broadly divided into two stages,where mountains block moisture, creating wet conditions on one side and a dry desert on the other.
The process begain at the sea when winds approach coast, seawater evaporates. On the windware side of mountain, winds pushed upward. As moist air rises and cools, clouds start to form. Near the peak wind can no longer hold the moisture, so rainfall occurs.
Dry air flows over the leeward side of the mountain. After that dry winds reach inland areas, form the rain shadow desert. This effect can extend for thousand of kilometers, Rain-Shadow desert always appers on the leekward side of mountains, which block the moist air from windward side.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to summarise the diagram illustrating the formation of a rain-shadow desert, identifying the main stages from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. An overview is provided, noting the two broad stages and the role of mountains. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasing in reporting the features, such as 'how a rain-shadow desert is formed by one type of desert', which is slightly tautological. Furthermore, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement, containing only 135 words, which must be penalised under the task achievement criteria. Consequently, the score is capped at a Band 5.5 due to the length deficiency and partial development.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organised into multiple paragraphs, attempting to follow a logical progression from the sea to inland areas. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'After that', and 'Near the peak' are used to connect ideas, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Paragraphing is present, but the structure is slightly fragmented with very short paragraphs and sentence breaks. Referencing is generally clear, though minor lapses in cohesion occur due to grammatical inaccuracies. Overall, the organisation shows a coherent arrangement, fitting comfortably into Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common subject-specific terms such as 'evaporates', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'rain-shadow desert'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, including 'illustrate' instead of 'illustrates', 'contain' instead of 'contains', 'begain' instead of 'began', 'windware' instead of 'windward', 'appers' instead of 'appears', and 'leekward' instead of 'leeward'. These errors demonstrate a limited control over spelling and word forms, though they do not completely impede overall communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and participial phrases ('where mountains block moisture, creating wet conditions...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors including subject-verb agreement issues ('the process contain', 'winds pushed upward' missing a verb component), incorrect verb tenses ('The process begain'), and missing articles or prepositions ('approach coast', 'form the rain shadow desert'). While some sentences are accurate, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors places this response firmly in the Band 5 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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