Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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 illustartion depicts the process by which how rain shadow deserts formed.

Overall, it can be seen that there are 7 stages which can help for formation of rain shadow deserts, beginning with the wind that approach coast and then go upward and form cloud and from the leeward the air dry and create rain shadow forest.

Intially, from the sea the warm wind approach coast rise upward which create air rises and cools, which can help for formation of clouds then clouds reached at the peak of the mountain. Where they collect water in the cloud which fall in the form of rain drops.

After that, dry air continues over the mountain from the leeward side of the mountain, then goes dip to the inland area where air dry and form rain shadow desert. The whole formation covers thousand od kilometers of mountains, thus the air lost its moisture

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation, from coastal winds to the final dry inland area. However, some aspects are under-developed or imprecise. For instance, the opening overview mentions a 'rain shadow forest' instead of a desert, which misinterprets the final stage. The details regarding moisture loss and cloud formation are stated quite simply without fully expanding on the underlying mechanism shown in the diagram. While the overall process is traceable and covers the seven marked stages, deeper development and accuracy in reporting the visual data would elevate this score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement and follows the chronological sequence of the diagram using basic transitional markers such as 'Overall', 'Intially', and 'After that'. Paragraphing is attempted, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the stages. However, cohesion is at times mechanical and referencing is occasionally faulty, such as confusing pronoun usage and disjointed sentence links like 'go upward and form cloud and from the leeward the air dry'. Logical progression is maintained to some extent, but smoother transitions and more flexible cohesive devices are needed to achieve a more cohesive flow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The lexical range is limited and adequate for the task, though it contains notable errors in word choice, spelling, and word forms. Examples include the misspelling 'illustartion' and 'Intially', and the incorrect vocabulary choice 'rain shadow forest' instead of desert. There are also awkward collocations and word form errors such as 'wind that approach coast', 'goes dip', and 'thousand od kilometers'. While the vocabulary attempts to describe scientific and geographical processes, the frequent slips in word choice and spelling occasionally impede smooth communication and restrict the score to this band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are often flawed. There are frequent grammatical errors involving subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, and relative clauses. Examples include 'how rain shadow deserts formed', 'the wind that approach coast', 'air rises and cools, which can help for formation', and 'the air lost its moisture'. Punctuation and tense control are also inconsistent, leading to sentences that require reader effort to parse. These persistent errors place the grammar firmly at this level, though meaning is still generally conveyed.

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