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 diagram illustrates the process of the formation of desert into a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, The process of convertion of desert into rain-shadow desert includes 7 steps. commencing from wind approach coast and conclude with dry winds reach inland areas. Thousands of kilometres journey happens In this complete process.

To begin with, The winds reaches the coast of the sea followed by pushed upwards due to the coast of the mountains. Thenafter, the moist air rises and cools as well as reaches more height and touch the windward side. Afterwards, the wind transforms into clouds. As a result, rain falls happens on the top of the mountain.

Moreover, After rainfall the air became more dry and travel over mountains and touches the side of the mountain which is called leeward. then the air without humidity started to flew towards ground. at the end the air approaches the inland area of mountain. finally it forms into rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main features of the diagram, successfully outlining the seven steps of rain-shadow desert formation from the initial winds approaching the coast to the final dry winds reaching inland areas. However, some parts of the process are underdeveloped or lack precision, such as the description of how clouds form and how precipitation occurs, which are lumped together quickly. The overview captures the main steps and the scale mentioned in the visual data ('Thousands of kilometres journey'), but overall, the information is presented somewhat mechanically without fully synthesizing the broader relationships between the geographical zones (windward versus leeward sides). This places the response in the mid-range for this criterion, as it covers the task requirements adequately but lacks the depth and fully extended reporting needed for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

There is a coherent overall arrangement to the text, with information broken down into paragraphs that roughly follow the chronological stages of the process diagram. Basic cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'To begin with', 'Thenafter', 'Moreover', and 'finally'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward transitions like 'Moreover, After rainfall the air became more dry and travel over mountains'. Paragraphing is present, but the logical progression between sentences occasionally stumbles due to repetitive linking patterns. Pronoun referencing and substitution could be managed more smoothly to create a seamless flow of ideas, reflecting the characteristics of a solid intermediate performance in this area.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to use less common items related to geography and processes, such as 'precipitation', 'moist air', 'humidity', and 'inland area'. However, there are noticeable lexical and word-form errors that detract from the precision of the writing, including 'convertion' instead of 'conversion', 'wind approach' instead of 'winds approach', and unnatural phrasing like 'rain falls happens' and 'the air became more dry'. Spelling and word-choice errors occur throughout the text, though they generally do not completely impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate better control over word forms, collocations, and a wider, more precise range of topic-specific vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on a limited range of sentence structures, with frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. There are numerous issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'The winds reaches', 'the air became more dry and travel', and 'started to flew'. Punctuation is also problematic, marked by missing capitalisations at the start of sentences following periods and unnecessary capitalization mid-sentence, alongside comma splices. While the student attempts some complex structures, these attempts are often faulty due to awkward clause connections and preposition errors. A higher band would require a greater variety of error-free complex sentences and much tighter control over basic grammatical rules.

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

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