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 diagram illustrate how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall, there process consists of seven stage. Its beings with the winds approach coast and ends with dry winds reach inland areas. The rain falls the mountains after try air continues over mountain. There are 5 steps of windward side and two steps of leeward side.

Firstly, winds approach coast absorve the water from sea, then winds pushed upwords to mountains and winds pushed thousands of kilometers upwords. Next, moist air rises and cool after the winds pushed upwords . whereas, they take the shape of clouds form.

forthermore, the rain fall on the top of the mountains, then dry air countinues over mountains and the final step dry winds reach inland areas. the distance sea and rain-shadow desert between thousands of kilometres

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the diagram showing the formation of a rain-shadow desert, noting the seven key stages from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, the explanation of several steps is under-developed and lacks clarity, particularly regarding the specific mechanics of moist air rising and the transition over the mountains. Furthermore, the length requirement is not met, as the response falls short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 138 words. While an overview is attempted, it is partially mechanical and lacks sufficient expansion to reach a higher level of task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic logical organisation to the response, following the sequential stages of the diagram from left to right. However, the overall progression is hampered by disjointed sentences and inadequate paragraphing, with ideas grouped somewhat arbitrarily. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or inaccurately, such as the abrupt transitions using 'forthermore' and 'whereas', and referencing is occasionally unclear, making the flow of information choppy and difficult to follow consistently. To improve, the writer needs to employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive links and structure the text into coherent paragraphs that clearly group related stages of the process.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, successfully incorporating basic topic-related terms such as 'winds', 'moist air', 'clouds', and 'desert'. However, there is a very limited range with noticeable word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'absorve' instead of absorb, 'upwords' instead of upwards, and 'countinues' instead of continues. These errors, alongside awkward collocations like 'try air', stem from basic vocabulary limitations and occasional lapses that occasionally cause slight difficulty for the reader, preventing the response from achieving a higher lexical band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic subject-verb-object constructions. Attempts at more complex sentences are consistently faulty, marred by frequent errors in verb forms, tense consistency, and missing articles or prepositions, such as 'The diagram illustrate' instead of illustrates, 'its beings with the winds approach' instead of it begins with the winds approaching, and 'the rain falls the mountains'. Punctuation is also problematic in places. These frequent grammatical errors cause considerable difficulty for the reader and reflect a weak control over basic sentence mechanics.

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