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 process chart describes the ways how one type of desert known as a rain-shadow formed.

Overall, there are seven stages in the process, begining with winds approach coast and culminating in dry winds reach inland areas.

To begin, winds approach coast starts above the sea and blow toward the mountains where it goes to upwars side and it becomes moisterised and cools when it goes above. Follwing this, from the windward side cool air forms into clouds and start the rain falls.

Next step, dry air seprets from the clouds. In the subsequesnt step it continue travells to the down side, where it reaches to the inland areas and over at the rain-shadow desert, this process run continous throught the tousands of kilometres across the mountain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers some of the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, such as winds approaching the coast, moist air rising, and dry winds reaching inland areas. However, the explanation is limited and lacks sufficient development, omitting several key steps from the diagram like cloud formation and specific geographical labelling. Furthermore, the length requirement is not met, as the response falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum, leaving the overview and details under-developed. To achieve a higher score, the writer must ensure all parts of the visual data are fully discussed and extend the word count beyond the required minimum.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some attempt at organisation, beginning with an introductory sentence and using basic sequencing phrases such as 'To begin' and 'Next step'. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression and logical flow between sentences. Cohesive devices are often used inaccurately or repetitively, such as 'Follwing this, from the windward side cool air forms into clouds and start the rain falls' and 'In the subsequesnt step it continue travells'. Paragraphing is attempted, but referencing and transitions are mechanical and occasionally confusing. To improve, the writer needs to employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices and ensure ideas are logically sequenced without abrupt shifts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task, with noticeable word choice and spelling errors that occasionally impede understanding. Examples of errors include 'begining', 'upwars', 'moisterised', 'seprets', 'travells', 'continous', and 'tousands'. The writer attempts to use task-specific terms like 'winds approach coast' and 'rain-shadow desert', but lexical control is weak, relying heavily on copying phrases directly from the prompt without proper grammatical integration. To progress, the writer should build a broader vocabulary repertoire, focus on correct word forms and collocations, and eliminate basic spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response features a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent errors in complex attempts. There are numerous grammatical inaccuracies throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement errors like 'winds approach coast starts', incorrect prepositions and verb forms such as 'goes to upwars side', and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is also basic and sometimes faulty. These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader and reflect a lack of control over grammatical structures. To move up, the writer needs to demonstrate better command of simple and complex sentence forms while significantly reducing basic grammatical mistakes.

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