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 given diagram shows step by step the formation of a unique type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, sea and mountains are playing vital role in the formation of the desert followed by wind and air which also take part in its process. This process covers thousands of kilometers from sea to inland.

In the first step, winds reach at the coast through the sea and these winds are pushed up from sea to the coast. Following the next step where moist air rises and cools when winds move more toward the windward side. Upon cooling of air clouds are formed and in next process such clouds led to rain falls.

After raining, next process is taken by dry air. Dry air continues over mountain towars the downside of the leeward. Final step include such consequences where the arival of dry wind to inland area leds to Rain-shadow desert formation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully identifies the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, covering the sequence from winds reaching the coast to the creation of the desert inland over thousands of kilometres. The overview captures the main features well, noting the role of the sea, mountains, wind, and air. However, some aspects of the process are described with slight inaccuracies or overly simplistic phrasing, such as 'winds are pushed up from sea to the coast' rather than up the windward slope of the mountain. Nevertheless, all parts of the visual prompt are addressed adequately, and the key features are reported, earning a solid band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into a clear introduction with an overview, followed by chronological body paragraphs that trace the steps of the diagram. Cohesive devices and sequence markers such as 'In the first step', 'Following the next step', and 'After raining' are used to guide the reader through the process. However, some transitions feel somewhat mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'next process'). Paragraphing is functional, and there is a clear overall progression from the coast across the mountains to the inland desert.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting process-specific terms such as 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward', and 'Rain-shadow desert'. However, there are noticeable lexical and word-choice errors throughout the text, such as 'playing vital role' (missing article), 'reaching at the coast' (incorrect preposition), 'raining' instead of precipitation or rainfall, 'towars', 'arival', and 'leds' (spelling and form errors). These errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and temporal dependent clauses (e.g., 'when winds move more toward the windward side'). There are several grammatical and mechanical errors present, including missing articles ('a vital role'), incorrect verb forms ('clouds led to rain falls'), and spelling errors ('towars', 'arival', 'leds'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout, and the grammatical range is sufficient for a band 6.

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

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