Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-25
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 formation of rain-shadow desert.
Overall, it can be seen that the process by which rain-shadow desert is formed is a multistep linear process, which consists of seven steps, starts with the winds approach coast and ends up with dry winds reach inland areas.
The first step is winds approach coast comes form the ocean then pushed upwards by the mountain in second step. In the third step moist air rises and cools along the windward side and it forms as clouds in the fourth step. Step number five is rainfall which arise after the clouds goes at the top of the mountain.
The sixth step is dry air continues over mountain when the rain falls downwards the mountain. After it comes to the leeward side, the dry winds reach inland areas at the seventh step. Finally, then formed as a rain-shadow desert due to a lack of rain.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by summarising the seven stages involved in the formation of a rain-shadow desert. An overview is provided at the beginning, noting that it is a seven-step linear process starting from moist winds approaching the coast and ending with dry winds reaching inland areas. The individual steps, such as winds being pushed upwards by mountains, moist air rising and cooling, cloud formation, and rainfall on the windward side, are accurately reported based on the visual data. The final stages on the leeward side are also correctly captured. However, the development is slightly mechanical due to the rigid step-by-step numbering approach, and the overview could be more sophisticated. Nonetheless, all key features are covered well, earning a solid Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is coherent overall, with a clear logical progression from the first step to the final rain-shadow desert formation. The writer uses sequential signposting extensively, such as 'The first step is', 'In the third step', and 'At the seventh step', which helps guide the reader through the process. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped; the body of the response is clumped together into two overly dense blocks rather than breaking down the stages into logical thematic paragraphs (e.g. separating the windward side events from the leeward side events). Furthermore, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical and repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of varied paragraph structure limits the score to a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a natural process, utilizing terms such as 'multistep linear process', 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'rain-shadow desert'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'winds approach coast comes form the ocean' and 'then formed as a rain-shadow desert'. Additionally, spelling and grammatical form errors occur, such as 'comes form' instead of 'comes from'. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly, but the frequent lexical inaccuracies and lack of more sophisticated phrasing prevent the score from reaching a Band 7.0. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'which consists of seven steps', 'pushed upwards by the mountain'). However, control over grammar and sentence structure is inconsistent, leading to frequent errors. Examples include missing articles ('formation of rain-shadow desert'), awkward phrasing ('starts with the winds approach coast'), and run-on or ungrammatical clauses ('Finally, then formed as a rain-shadow desert due to a lack of rain'). While these errors rarely impede overall communication, they persist throughout the text, restricting the grammatical range and accuracy to a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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