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 process diagram illustrates the procedure how a specific type of desert, called rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, there are seven main steps inncluded in the formation of the desert. It starts from the winds approaching the coast, after going through several changes it finally ends when dry winds reach the inland areas forming a rain-shadow desert.

When winds approach the coast, they are pushed upward because of the pressure, in this whole process moist air go upwards and cools down. When winds reach upwards, clouds are formed as a result. After clouds are formed they turn into rain and fall on the mountains on both windward side and leeward side.

On the other side, dry air blows over the mountain towards the leeward side. Afterwards, dry winds start to reach the inland areas. Therefore, at the end it results in the formation of rain-shadow desert after travelling for thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task partially. While the student attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation, some parts of the overview and details are limited and under-developed. For instance, the overview merely states that there are seven steps, without highlighting the overarching mechanism of how moisture is lost as air rises over a mountain barrier. Furthermore, the description contains some inaccuracies regarding the visual data; for example, the text states that rain falls on both the windward and leeward sides, whereas the diagram clearly shows precipitation occurring exclusively on the windward side and over the peak before dry air continues down the leeward slope. To reach a higher band, the response needs a clearer, more comprehensive overview of the main stages and a more accurate reporting of how the features interact across the landscape.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response presents some organisation with a logical beginning, middle, and end, but lacks a clear overall progression. The essay is divided into paragraphs, yet the sequencing within paragraphs sometimes feels disjointed. Cohesive devices are used, but they are occasionally inadequate or repetitive, such as the frequent transitions like 'When winds...' and 'Afterwards'. Referencing is also at times unclear, as seen in the phrasing 'On the other side' when transitioning to the leeward side. To improve cohesion, the writer should employ a wider and more accurate variety of cohesive links to connect the stages of the natural process more smoothly, ensuring that the relationships between cause and effect steps are logically transparent throughout the response.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, providing a basic description of the diagram. However, the range is limited and contains noticeable errors in word choice and collocation that can cause some difficulty for the reader. For example, phrases like 'the procedure how' and 'moist air go upwards' demonstrate lexical and grammatical confusion. There are also slight inaccuracies in terminology, such as referring to the natural process as a 'procedure'. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to incorporate a wider range of precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to geography and weather processes, such as 'precipitation', 'evaporation', or 'topographic barrier', while reducing word-choice errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic complex forms, with attempts at complex structures often resulting in faulty execution. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'moist air go upwards' instead of 'goes', and punctuation or article mistakes such as missing articles before nouns ('called rain-shadow desert'). Additionally, phrasing like 'inncluded' shows control issues. These frequent errors can cause occasional difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer should aim to master basic grammatical agreements, improve the accuracy of article usage, and incorporate a greater variety of error-free complex sentence structures.

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

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