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 picture illustrates the formation of a kind of desert called rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it take multiple stages for a land to convert into rain-shadow desert.wind plays a vital role in this covering thousands of kilometers distance.

It all start from wind reaching coast after approaching it and then was pushed towards mountains in upward direction in second stage. While rising up to windward side of the mountains the wet air cools down and clouds are formed, by reaching the top of the mountains clouds filled with rain at the fifth stage.

The dry air continues coming down the leeward side over the mountains in the next step travelling hundreds of killometers. At the final stage, dry wind reaches

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially and fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly after 119 words. While the writing outlines several stages of the rain-shadow desert formation, such as the winds approaching the coast and moist air rising, the account remains incomplete because the student did not finish the final stage. The overview provided in the second sentence is very brief and basic. To achieve a higher band, you must write the full word count required by the task, ensure all steps of the diagram are fully reported, and present a clear, developed overview without cutting off mid-sentence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation in the text, using chronological transition words like 'In the next step' and 'At the final stage' to signal the sequence of the process. However, the overall progression is limited, and the text ends abruptly. Paragraphing is poorly handled, as the response is lumped together into two very short blocks rather than a well-structured introduction and body. Cohesive devices are sometimes repetitive or basic. To improve, you need to group related stages logically into coherent paragraphs, ensure smooth logical links between sentences, and complete the entire essay so that the progression of ideas flows naturally from beginning to end.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. There are noticeable word choice and spelling errors, such as 'take' instead of 'takes', 'start' instead of 'starts', 'killometers' instead of 'kilometres', and awkward phrasing like 'land to convert into'. While the student attempts some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'moist air', inaccuracies in spelling and collocation cause some distraction for the reader. To move up to a higher band, you should expand your range of vocabulary, use less common items with greater precision, and carefully check your spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response shows a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms that often contain errors. There are frequent mistakes with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'it take', 'It all start'), missing articles ('a kind of desert called rain-shadow desert'), and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation and capitalization errors are also present, such as starting a new sentence with a lowercase letter ('wind plays'). These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures, ensuring correct verb forms, and maintaining accurate punctuation and capitalization throughout your writing.

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

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