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 diagram outlines the stages and process involved in the emergence of a rain shadow dessert.

Overall, the formation consists of seven stages, starting from the winds moving across the sea towards the mountain coast and ends at the development as a dry wind reaching the inland areas.

Firstly, the wind that travels across the sea, approaches the coast and then moves upward due to the inclined position at the side of the mountain. Secondly, the moisture in the air cools the wind and helps to transform it into the clouds. At a certain height, usually on top of a mountain these clouds tend to fall in the shape of rain water.

As the clouds fall, they are again been converted to air by a process called condensation. But this type of air is dry which continues to fall from the leeward side of the mountain and at last reaches inland areas resulting in the formation of a rain shadow dessert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student covers all the key stages of the rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, beginning with winds approaching the coast and ending with dry winds reaching inland areas. An overview is successfully provided, stating that the process consists of seven stages. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in scientific interpretation and terminology, such as spelling 'desert' as 'dessert' and inaccurately stating that moisture 'cools the wind' and that clouds 'fall in the shape of rain water' before being 'converted to air by a process called condensation'. Despite these minor scientific missteps, the main features of the visual data are correctly identified and reported, satisfying the core requirements of Academic Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is organized logically into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow the chronological sequence of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'At a certain height' are used to guide the reader through the stages. Paragraphing is adequate, separating the introduction/overview from the main body steps. However, cohesion sometimes feels mechanical, and referencing could be smoother, particularly in the final paragraph where the transition from clouds falling to being converted back to air is slightly disjointed. Overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating process-related terms such as 'emergence', 'moisture', 'condensation', and 'inland areas'. However, there are notable spelling errors, most prominently repeating 'dessert' instead of 'desert'. Word choice and collocations are occasionally awkward, such as 'transform it into the clouds' and 'converted to air'. While less common vocabulary is attempted, these inaccuracies prevent the score from reaching a higher band, though they do not seriously impede overall communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses ('the wind that travels across the sea') and adverbial clauses. There are several grammatical errors and awkward passive constructions, including 'are again been converted' and 'continue to fall'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and despite the presence of grammatical errors, the majority of sentences remain comprehensible, meaning communication is rarely impeded. The control of grammar aligns well with a Band 6 level.

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

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