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 illustrates the process through which a kind of desert, named as a rain-shadow desert is created.

In a cursory glance, it is clearly evident that the entire formation procedure of the desert involves 7 cruical steps. The process involves travelling of winds over a thousands of kilometers and ending at inland areas.

To commence with, it can be seen that winds from sea reaches the coast area where the winds are pushed in an upward direction. Once the wind reaches at windward side of the mountain it turns into moist air and gets cooled. Furthermore, Clouds begin to form by this cool breeze and which produce huge amount of rain falls afterwards.

water-less air proceeds to pass through over the mountains and reaches the leeward side of the mountain. This dry air the slowly travels below and arrives at inland areas where it leads to the creation of rain-shadow desert. In addition, the air covers over a thousand kilometers to finally reach the desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student successfully identifies and reports the main features of the rain-shadow desert formation diagram, covering all 7 key sequential steps from the winds approaching the coast to reaching inland areas. An adequate overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining that the process involves 7 crucial steps and spans thousands of kilometres. However, the development is slightly basic, and some descriptions lack precision, such as 'water-less air' instead of dry air. Nonetheless, the task is properly addressed and all parts of the visual prompt are accounted for, satisfying the criteria for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and logical progression through the stages of the diagram. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate different phases of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition' are employed to guide the reader through the steps. However, some referencing and transitions feel a bit mechanical, and punctuation issues occasionally disrupt the natural flow of ideas. Overall, the organization is clear and logical, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, successfully conveying geographical concepts such as 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'moist air', and 'inland areas'. There are, however, several lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'cruical' (spelling error), 'cursory glance', and 'water-less air'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary result in minor errors, though communication is not impeded. The range is sufficient for the prompt, but lexical control prevents a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('from sea reaches the coast area', 'at windward side'), subject-verb agreement issues ('winds ... reaches'), and preposition misuse ('passes through over'). While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur regularly and restrict the grammar score to Band 5.5.

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

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