Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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 illustrates how a rain-shadow desert forms of the inland side areas of a mountain range.

Overall, the process has seven stages. It begins at the wind approach coast, where moist winds from the sea, meet the mountains and with the dry winds, reaching in Inland area that turns into desert.

To begin with winds, the coaster from the sea and the push upward as they hit the wind side of mountains. as the moist air rises, it cools and cloud start form near top of the slope. These cloud then release their moisture, so rainfalls over with windward side and around the mountain peak.

After this air, which has now lost most of its moisture, continues over the top of the mountain and move down the leeward size. These dry winds, then blow across the inland area, which can its thousands of kilometre from the coast. Since hardly any moisture reaches the ground. It receives with a little rainfall and eventully becomes what is known as a rain shadow desert.

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, satisfying the requirement to summarize the diagram. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, stating that the process has seven stages and outlining the general progression from the coast to the inland desert. However, some aspects of the explanation are under-developed or unclear. For instance, phrases like 'wind approach coast' and 'winds, the coaster from the sea' are confusing and fail to accurately report the initial stage of the visual data. The progression is visible, but certain stages lack precise detail, placing the response firmly at this level where relevant ideas are presented but some remain underdeveloped or slightly confused.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The writing demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Logical transitions are introduced using signposting phrases such as 'Overall, the process has', 'To begin with', and 'After this air'. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in 'These cloud then release their moisture', where plural agreement is missing, and the pronoun reference in 'After this air' is abrupt. Paragraphing is used adequately to divide the introduction, overview, and the sequential steps of the diagram, but the mechanical nature of the linking devices prevents the text from achieving a higher level of flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

An adequate range of vocabulary is attempted for the task, with terms like 'moist winds', 'precipitation', 'leeward side', and 'rain shadow desert' successfully incorporated from the prompt. However, there are noticeable lexical and word-choice errors that reflect limitations, such as 'wind approach coast', 'coaster from the sea', 'wind side', and 'eventully' (spelling error). The student attempts less common vocabulary related to geographical processes, but inaccuracies in word formation and collocation persist throughout the text, though they do not seriously impede overall communication, fitting the criteria for this band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over sentence structure. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Issues include missing articles ('cloud start form near top of the slope', 'receives with a little rainfall'), incorrect prepositions ('forms of the inland side areas'), and awkward clause structures ('which can its thousands of kilometre from the coast'). While simple sentences are generally understandable, attempts at more complex structures often result in faulty punctuation and grammatical inaccuracies, limiting the grammatical score to this level.

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

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