Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20

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 outline the stages of the formation of rain-shadow deserts. This flowchart contains seven stages to demonstrate about how the rain-shadow deserts formed. It shows that a mountain is in the middle of sea and inland area and the movement of wind from sea level acrossing the mountain and reaches to inland areas.

The first stage is winds approach coast, followed by the second stage which is winds pushed upward. Furthermore, moist air rises and cools in third stage and formation of clouds is shown in fourth stage. At the peak of the mountain rain falls which is the fifth stage from windward side. Afterwards, dry air continues over mountain in sixth stage from Leeward side. Finally, dry winds reach inland areas.

To sum up everything that has been stated so far, the winds from coast converted to clouds then rain falls and lastly converted back to air. This change happens due to the change in temperature. Overall, it is the formation of rain-shadow desert which consists of many stages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully identifies the main purpose of the diagram, which illustrates the formation of a rain-shadow desert across seven distinct stages. The response covers the entire sequence from moist winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, the overview lacks clarity and fails to highlight the broader geographic and climatic context, such as the rain shadow effect itself or the role of the mountain range acting as a barrier. While all seven numbered stages are mentioned, the explanation remains somewhat mechanical and relies heavily on lifting terms from the prompt without providing a cohesive synthesis of the physical process. Consequently, the task achievement demonstrates a basic coverage of the main features but lacks the deeper general overview required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text is organized into three paragraphs, following a traditional introduction, body, and conclusion structure. Cohesive devices such as 'The first stage', 'Furthermore', 'At the peak of the mountain', 'Afterwards', and 'Finally' are used to signal progression through the steps. However, paragraphing is somewhat problematic; the second paragraph is a single dense block containing all seven steps, which makes the progression feel mechanical. Additionally, the conclusion introduces confusion by stating that the winds 'converted back to air', which is factually inaccurate regarding the diagram's depiction of atmospheric moisture. While the overall arrangement is coherent enough to follow, referencing and logical transitions between sentences require greater flexibility and precision.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'moist air', 'precipitation', 'peaks', and 'inland areas'. However, there are notable lexical limitations and awkward word choices, such as 'The diagram outline' (missing agreement), 'demonstrate about how' (unnecessary preposition), and 'acrossing the mountain' (incorrect form of the verb/preposition). The concluding sentence contains an imprecise summary of the atmospheric process by stating that winds were 'converted back to air'. These errors in word choice and collocation prevent the response from achieving a higher band, though the vocabulary remains sufficient to communicate the basic meaning of the diagram steps.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The diagram outline' instead of 'outlines'), incorrect verb forms or prepositions ('acrossing the mountain' instead of 'crossing the mountain'), and missing articles ('in middle of sea' instead of 'in the middle of the sea'). Complex sentences are attempted, but their control is weak, leading to awkward phrasings like 'demonstrate about how the rain-shadow deserts formed'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of grammatical errors causes some strain for the reader, placing this response firmly in the mid-band range.

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

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