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 demonstrats an image of how the rain-shadow type of desert is formed. The diagram shows total of 7 steps that take place in order to form a rain-shadow desert. The water from the sea rises high above the altitude in the form of vapours with the help of wind that blows above the sea surface. As the vapours cool down while the winds pushes it upward it forms a cloud. As it reaches the top the rain starts to fall and the dry air flows through the mountain leeward side and as the dry winds reach inland areas it forms the rain-shadow desert.
Overall, there are mulitple factors involved in the formation of a rain-shadow desert. However, the most import element of this process is the wind that drives this whole process from pushing the water vapous from the sea level to the top of a mountain and moving the clouds and than the dry air that continues over the mountain.
Furthermore, we can not ignore the water from the sea in this process because, without the water it would not be possible to form a cloud and let the rain fall from it.
To conclude, I would say that this process takes time as well as thousands of kilometres of distance is also covered from the point it starts to the point it actually form the rain-shadow desert.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student addresses the task by describing the 7-step process of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram. An overview is attempted in the introduction and further elaborated in subsequent paragraphs. However, the response adopts an inappropriate register and tone for an academic task, resembling a personal essay ('To conclude, I would say...'). Furthermore, the interpretation of the diagram contains slightly conversational commentary rather than purely objective reporting of visual data. To achieve a higher band, the writer should maintain a formal, objective tone throughout and present a clearer, more concise overview of the overall process without personal reflections.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text is divided into paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs, and a concluding remark. However, the logical progression is hindered by informal transitions and subjective commentary ('Furthermore, we can not ignore...'). Cohesive devices such as 'As', 'However', and 'Furthermore' are used, but their management is occasionally mechanical or clumsy, leading to an uneven flow. Paragraphing is present, but the structure of the concluding section is too conversational for an Academic Task 1 response. Greater control over logical sequencing and a more formal organisational structure are needed for a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the diagram, such as 'altitude', 'vapours', 'moist air', and 'rain-shadow desert'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('demonstrats' instead of demonstrates, 'import' instead of important, 'vapous' instead of vapours, 'than' instead of then, 'mulitple' instead of multiple) and awkward collocations. Word choice is sometimes repetitive or imprecise. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic steps of the process, spelling mistakes and limited precision prevent the response from reaching a higher lexical band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using clauses introduced by words like 'as' and 'while'. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors including subject-verb agreement issues ('winds pushes it') and missing articles or punctuation. For instance, the sentence 'As the vapours cool down while the winds pushes it upward it forms a cloud' lacks necessary commas and contains a pronoun agreement error ('winds pushes it'). Errors occur frequently throughout the text, although they do not completely impede overall understanding.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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