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 diagrame illustrates the natural process by which a rain shadow desertsand the type of desert.

overall,it is a 7 stage cyclical process that start from winds from the sea and ends with dry wind creating a desert on the leeward side of mountain range.

The process begin withwind approach the coast from the sea (step1). as these wind reach into the mountains they are forced upward along the windward side (step2).as the moist air rises it cool down (step3).which lead to formation of clouds(step4).

Another equally important is that rain fall on the windward side and at the top of the mountain(step5).After the precipitation,the air become dry and continues to move over mountain to the leeward side(step6).Finally these dry winds descend and reach the inland area(step7).because the winds contain no moisture the land on the leeward side remain arid,thus forming a rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The candidate successfully identifies the main features of the diagram, outlining the seven-stage process of rain-shadow desert formation from the sea to inland areas. An overview is attempted, noting that it is a seven-stage process starting from the sea and ending with dry winds. However, the response is penalised for falling below the 145-word minimum required for Task 1, coming in at 145 words. Additionally, there is a minor inaccuracy in the overview where the writer labels the process as cyclical, whereas the diagram shows a linear progression from west to east.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text has a discernible overall progression, following the numbered steps of the diagram sequentially. Paragraphing is attempted, though the layout is slightly disjointed with some sentences starting on new lines without proper indentation. Cohesive devices are used to signal sequence, such as 'The process begin with', 'Another equally important is that', and 'Finally these dry winds', but referencing and linking are sometimes mechanical or grammatically flawed. Overall logical organisation is present, but cohesion lacks flexibility and control.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'precipitation', 'moisture', 'arid', 'leeward side', and 'windward side'. However, there are noticeable word-form and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'diagrame', 'desertsand', 'approach' instead of 'approaches', and 'cool down' instead of 'cools down'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but these lexical errors prevent the score from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and conditional-like phrasing ('because the winds contain no moisture...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors in subject-verb agreement ('winds approach' vs 'these wind reach', 'as the moist air rises it cool down'), capitalization, and punctuation (missing spaces after commas and periods, such as 'overall,it'). While communication is not severely impeded, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors restricts the score.

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