Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22
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 depicts the information about the formation of rain-shadow deserts in which several stages are included from where rain is formed.
Overall, the diagram represents the data of diverse steps from sea to the inland area, with thousands of kilometers distance is shown in the weight of the mountain. In this process wind approaches from sea and ends in the form of dry winds and reach to the inland area.
In general, it is clearly seen that wind is approaching to the coast from the sea and later on pushed into upward direction, where moist air rises and converts into cold air. Meanwhile, the air gets cold and turns into clouds form while crossing the windward side of the mountain, when the formation of clouds happens then rain fell from these clouds.
In addition, when after the rain air started to became dry and turns to the downward of the mountain while crossing the leeward side. Furthermore, after going through the process winds become dry and reaches to inland area.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully covers the main features of the diagram illustrating the formation of a rain-shadow desert, from the initial winds approaching the coast from the sea to the final dry winds reaching inland areas. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, capturing the progression from sea to inland across the mountain. However, some descriptions are slightly imprecise or awkward, such as 'thousands of kilometers distance is shown in the weight of the mountain'. The key stages—moist air rising, cooling, cloud formation, precipitation on the windward side, and dry air descending on the leeward side—are all identified, fulfilling the requirements for Task Achievement at a Band 6.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow the chronological sequence of the process diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In general', 'Meanwhile', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore' are used to structure the text, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Paragraphing is attempted, but grouping all body details together or separating them minimally affects the overall logical flow. Referencing is generally clear, but occasional clunky phrasing impacts smooth progression. This warrants a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to describe a scientific process, using relevant terms like 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'clouds', and 'dry winds'. However, there are notable lexical errors and unnatural word choices throughout the text, such as 'rain fell from these clouds' (should be 'falls'), 'air started to became dry' (grammatical slip combined with vocabulary), and 'in the weight of the mountain'. Less common items are attempted with some inaccuracy. This performance aligns with Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors in grammar and tense usage, including 'wind approaches from sea and ends... and reach to the inland area' (subject-verb agreement and preposition errors), 'air getting cold and turns into' (parallelism and tense issues), and 'after the rain air started to became dry'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the writing from reaching Band 6.0 consistently.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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