Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30
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 below shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.
Overall, this process of the formation of rain-shadow deserts is completed in 9 steps which consists of winds approaching the coast at the start from the sea till the end at which dry winds reach inland areas.
The process commences with the winds approaching the coast from the sea. Then, the winds are pushed upwards towards the winward side of the mountain. Here, moist air rises and cools, causing the formation of clouds. Then, the rain falls from the clouds,marking the end of the process over the windward side.
Then, on the leeward side, dry air continues to move over the mountain.Finally, the dry winds reach the inland area, marking the end of the process and forming rain-shadow deserts.
In conclusion,the formation of rain-shadow deserts can be sumarised in upto 9 steps. This process of formation occurs over mountains that are stretched over thousands of kilometres.
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 attempts to report the main features of the rain-shadow desert formation diagram. However, there are significant issues with task interpretation. The writer claims the process is completed in '9 steps' and repeats this in the conclusion, whereas the diagram shows 7 numbered steps from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. Furthermore, the inclusion of the prompt instructions at the beginning is unnecessary. While the student identifies key geographic features such as the sea, coast, windward side, mountains, leeward side, and rain-shadow desert, the miscount of steps and repetitive concluding summary prevent the response from achieving a higher band. The overview lacks clarity regarding the overall spatial progression from left to right across thousands of kilometres.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into manageable paragraphs, separating the introduction, the windward side stages, the leeward side stages, and a concluding summary. Progression is generally logical, following the left-to-right flow of the diagram. However, cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical and repetitive, with excessive use of 'Then' at the beginning of consecutive sentences (e.g., 'Then, the winds are pushed...', 'Then, the rain falls...', 'Then, on the leeward side...'). Referencing is mostly clear, but the overuse of transitional markers reduces the sophistication of the text and makes the paragraphing feel formulaic rather than naturally cohesive.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully borrowing and adapting terms directly from the diagram such as 'rain-shadow desert', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'inland area'. There are some minor lexical inaccuracies, such as 'winward' (spelling error for windward) and 'sumarised' (spelling error for summarised). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic descriptive terms without demonstrating a strong command of less common lexical items or sophisticated paraphrasing of the provided visual data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Overall, this process of the formation of rain-shadow deserts is completed in 9 steps which consists of winds approaching...' and 'This process of formation occurs over mountains that are stretched over thousands of kilometres.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including subject-verb agreement issues ('9 steps which consists'), missing articles or awkward prepositions ('till the end at which', 'upto'), and minor punctuation mistakes (missing spaces after commas, such as 'conclusion,the' and 'inordinately,the'). However, these errors do not severely impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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