Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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 rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the process starts by wind approaching the coast and ends at dry winds reaching to inland areas. This process occurs in seven stages and covers thousand of kilometres of area in general to form rain-shadow desert.

The process starts-off by the winds approaching to the coast which push the sea water upwards. The water is then mixed into the air forming moist air. The moist air then, rises and cools and form clouds. In the next step, rain falls over the mountain, this whole process occurs at the windward side of the mountains.

In the sixth step, the dry air continues over the mountain. This process occurs over leeward side of the mountain. The dry air travel downwards where it reach to the inland areas. There the formation of rain-shadow desert occurs.

AI examiner evaluation

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 seven stages and the spatial scope. However, there are some inaccuracies in the interpretation of the visual data; for instance, the text states that winds 'push the sea water upwards', which misreads the diagram where moist air rises from evaporation and coastal geography. Furthermore, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 141 words. Consequently, the task achievement is negatively impacted by both the under-length penalty and minor descriptive inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall progression, moving chronologically through the seven stages depicted in the diagram. Paragraphing is attempted, with an introduction followed by body paragraphs detailing the steps. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as starting consecutive sentences with 'The moist air then, rises' or 'In the sixth step'. Reference words are generally clear, but transitional links lack flexibility. Overall, the organizational structure is adequate to guide the reader through the process, but the mechanical transitions and short paragraphs prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a process, incorporating terms such as 'approaching', 'evaporation' (implied), 'moist air', 'windward side', and 'leeward side'. However, there are lexical errors and unnatural word choices, such as 'covers thousand of kilometres of area' (should be 'thousands of kilometres') and 'dry air travel downwards where it reach to' (grammar and word form errors). Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited precision, and these recurring inaccuracies occasionally distract from the precision expected in an Academic Task 1 response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'Overall, the process starts by wind approaching the coast and ends at dry winds reaching to inland areas.' Grammatical errors are noticeable throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement and prepositional issues, such as 'winds reaching to inland areas', 'starts-off by the winds approaching to the coast', and 'where it reach to'. Punctuation is also slightly flawed with intrusive commas, as in 'The moist air then, rises and cools and form clouds.' These errors occur with some frequency but do not completely impede overall communication.

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

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