Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

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 portrait portrays the formation of a desert in different stages commonly known as a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, this seven stage process begins as the wind pushes moist air to cool and form clouds. Rainfall results into the formation of rain-shadow desert as dry air continues and reaches inland areas where they form rain-shadow desert.

To start with, the distance between sea and inland is of thousands of kilometres. Coast is present beneath the sea. Wind approaches to the coast and pushed upwards where moist air surges and cools. At windward side, cloud formation procedure starts.

Eventually, at that point rain falls on the top of the mountain.Now the water reaches to the downground. At leeward side, dry air continues over mountain. Ultimately, dry winds reach to the inland areas. There the rain-shadow desert is present forming by the number of steps.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting an overview of the rain-shadow desert formation process with key stages, but the length requirement is not met as the essay falls short of the 150-word minimum (containing only 142 words). While the student attempts to report the main features from the diagram, some parts of the process are under-developed or repetitive, such as the redundant mention of the rain-shadow desert in the second paragraph. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to ensure the word count requirement is satisfied and present a more fully developed, comprehensive account of all stages shown in the visual data without unnecessary repetition.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation evident in the division into paragraphs and the use of basic sequencing devices such as 'To start with', 'Eventually', and 'Ultimately'. However, there is no clear overall progression throughout the text, and some cohesive devices are repetitive or awkward, such as starting multiple sentences with 'dry air' or 'dry winds'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the mechanical transitions hinder smooth reading. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure logical relationships between sentences are clearly established to guide the reader through the process smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic topic, featuring terms like 'moist air', 'cloud formation', and 'inland areas'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'Rainfall results into' instead of 'results in', and awkward phrasing like 'cloud formation procedure starts'. Attempts at less common vocabulary are restricted, and repetition of key terms like 'rain-shadow desert' occurs frequently. To achieve a higher score, the student should expand their lexical range with more precise scientific terms and demonstrate better control over collocations and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with occasional attempts at complex forms that are often faulty or awkward. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including preposition errors ('distance between sea and inland is of thousands', 'reach to the inland areas'), article omissions ('Coast is present', 'at windward side'), and awkward passive/active transitions ('forming by the number of steps'). These persistent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, the student needs to work on sentence variety, accurate use of articles, and correct prepositions in grammatical patterns.

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