Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28
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 illustrates the entire process of formation of one of a desert popularly known as rain-shadow desert.
Overall, the final desert is formed by seven different linear processes of nature starting from appproach of wind to reaching of dry wind at inland areas.The entire formation takes place above the water level.
Firstly, wind approaches to the coast and mountains are infront of the wind which diverges the direction of the wind upwards.Then the moist air rises above and gets cooled which results in formation of clouds.
Furthermore, the two side of the mountain are named as windward and leeward side according to the direction of incoming and outgoing air. After the cloud formation rain gets started at the top of the mountain.The dry air produced during this time-period follows the leewrd side and goes in the downward direction.This dry winds after travelling thousands of kilometers reaches the inland area where it in now termed as rain-shadow desert.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student successfully covers all the key stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process depicted in the diagram, from the initial approach of winds from the sea to the creation of the desert inland. The overview provides a clear summary of the seven linear processes. However, some minor details could be extended further, and there is a slight lack of precision in describing the geographic layout (e.g., stating the formation takes place above the water level, which is a misinterpretation of the sea shown on the left). Overall, the response addresses all parts of the task adequately, meeting the requirements for Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement and is divided into appropriate paragraphs representing different stages of the diagram. Logical sequencing is present, utilizing sequencing markers such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and transitional phrases like 'After the cloud formation'. However, cohesive devices are occasionally mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is sometimes weak, such as 'This dry winds' where agreement is flawed. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but overall progression could be smoother. These features place the response firmly at Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'diverges', 'moist air', 'precipitation' (though not used, related terms like 'rain gets started'), and 'inland area'. There are noticeable word choice and spelling errors, such as 'appproach', 'infront', and 'leewrd'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are evident, but occasional inaccuracies in collocation and word formation prevent the score from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the message without impeding communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses and temporal sequences. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('approaches to the coast and mountains are infront of the wind'), preposition use, and subject-verb agreement ('This dry winds after travelling... reaches'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but minor structural slips persist throughout the text. These errors occasionally cause slight hesitation for the reader, aligning the grammar score with Band 5.5 to 6.0, best represented at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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