Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23

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 give diagram illustrates the step by step formation of a kind of desert called rain shadow desert.

The process of formation of rain shadow deserts can be seen at huge mountains with of thousands of kilometers of width, separating the coast and the rain deserts.

Firstly, when the wind approaches the coast, then sea pushes the wind upwards.

Then after, moist air raises and cools. The clouds form after the cooling of moist air.

However, the clouds formed start to cause rain after the windward side of the mountains.

Once after the rain falls, the dry air continues over mountains. Then by, the dry air starts to move down the leeward side of the mountains.

Once after the downwards movement of dry air, the dry winds reaches inland areas at the bottom of the mountains. These inland areas are thousands of kilometers away from the coast.

Hence, the rain shadow deserts are formed at Inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student successfully summarises the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, covering key features from the approach of the winds over the sea and coast to the creation of the desert inland. An overview is present, identifying the step-by-step nature and the broad geographical context including the mountain range and thousands of kilometres scale. However, the response contains minor inaccuracies in data reporting and phrasing, such as claiming 'sea pushes the wind upwards' rather than the topographical barrier of the mountains. The ideas are generally relevant and cover all parts of the prompt, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is arranged in a coherent overall structure that follows the chronological progression of the diagram steps. The student uses basic cohesive devices and sequential transitions such as 'Firstly', 'Then after', and 'Once after' to guide the reader through the process. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, with the entire text compressed into a series of short, single-sentence paragraphs rather than logical groupings. Referencing and cohesion are sometimes mechanical, leading to a choppy flow that prevents the writing from achieving a higher band score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using topic-specific terms like 'rain shadow desert', 'moist air', 'windward side', and 'leeward side'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'give diagram' instead of 'given diagram', 'raises' instead of 'rises', and repetitive phrasing like 'once after'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success and control, placing this performance firmly in the Band 5 to 6 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses introduced by 'when' and 'once after'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several errors in verb forms and prepositional usage, including 'thousands of kilometers of width' instead of 'thousands of kilometres wide', 'reaches inland areas' where subject-verb agreement is violated, and awkward phrasing like 'Then by'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to restrict the score to Band 5.5.

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

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