Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 outlines the stages of rain-shadow deserts formation.

Overall, this process consists of seven distinct steps beginning when the winds approaches to the coastal areas water vapors condenses, and falls as rain at top of the mountain. The dry winds are sloping down toward inland areas by passing over the mountain leads to the formation of rain-shadow desert.

Initially, the winds over the sea surface flows toward coast rose upward by driving force. Although rising air is moist, it expands and cools through evaporation process. Despite this, when the moisture condensed leads to the formation of clouds at the windward side, and fell down as rain droplets at the peak of mountains. In contrast, after crossing the mountain, the air descends on the leeward side becomes warmer and drier. This air reaches to inland areas where it is accumulated in thousands of kilometers and formed rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student attempts to summarise the seven main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, covering the key transition from moist coastal winds to dry inland desert conditions. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, capturing the main trajectory of the process from the sea to the inland area. However, the response falls slightly short of the 150-word minimum, containing 148 words. Furthermore, there are some minor inaccuracies in reporting the sequence and mechanical details of the diagram, such as stating that rain falls 'at top of the mountain' rather than over the windward slopes, and minor confusion regarding evaporation and condensation processes. Despite these minor limitations, the main features are successfully identified and outlined.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text is arranged into two paragraphs, including an introduction/overview and a body paragraph. The overall progression of the process is generally clear, following the sequence from the sea to the inland areas. Cohesive devices and transition markers such as 'Initially', 'Although', 'Despite this', and 'In contrast' are employed to guide the reader through the stages of the diagram. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward phrasing like 'the winds approaches to the coastal areas water vapors condenses', which disrupts the smooth flow of information. Paragraphing could also be better managed by separating the overview from the detailed process description more clearly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a scientific process, incorporating terms such as 'coastal areas', 'water vapors', 'condensation', 'moisture', 'windward side', and 'leeward side'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors that detract from precision, such as 'winds approaches', 'sloping down', and 'accumulated in thousands of kilometers'. Less common lexical items are attempted but occasionally misused, leading to awkward expressions. Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control remains at a modest level, preventing the score from reaching higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses introduced by 'when', 'although', and 'where'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several structural errors and fragments, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the winds approaches'), missing prepositions, and awkward participle phrases ('the dry winds are sloping down toward inland areas by passing over the mountain leads to...'). Additionally, run-on structures and comma splices occur, such as 'water vapors condenses, and falls as rain'. While these errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they occur frequently enough to impede smooth reading.

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

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