Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 given graph illustrates the steps of formation of rain-shadow deserts,

From graph we can see that the formation is divided into 7 main steps including: Winds approach the coast coming from the sea, then wind pushed upwards from the coastal line due to mountains, Additionally, these mountains are covering an area of roughly thousands of kilometers. Thirdly, the moist air will travel upwards and become cool or decrease its temperature.

Clouds are formed within fourth step, Now the drops of rain started to touch the ground and wet the the top of the mountain with its water, After that, dry air again spread around the mountain's Leeward side, Finally in seventh step, the dried air again reach the inland area and making Rain-shadow desert.

In the end, After going through such hard and long steps the rain-shadow deserts are formed naturally which is also a wonderful making of nature.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process diagram showing the formation of rain-shadow deserts, but it addresses the task only partially. While the student outlines several steps from the visual data, the information is presented in a mechanical, sequential list rather than a well-synthesised overview. Key features such as the progression from the sea across the windward side to the leeward side and the rain-shadow area are mentioned, but the description of these stages remains limited and under-developed. Furthermore, the concluding paragraph includes subjective commentary ('wonderful making of nature') rather than academic reporting, which detracts from the objective tone required for an academic task.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation evident in the sequencing of steps, and paragraphs are used to divide the process. However, there is no clear overall progression that smoothly guides the reader from the initial stage to the final result. Cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically or inaccurately, such as the repetitive use of sequence markers like 'Thirdly', 'within fourth step', and 'Finally in seventh step'. Additionally, referencing and logical transitions between sentences are occasionally faulty, causing the progression of ideas to feel disjointed rather than naturally flowing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary range is limited but minimally adequate for describing the process. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'coastal line', 'moist air', and 'Leeward side', but these attempts are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'formation of rain-shadow deserts' instead of 'the formation of a rain-shadow desert' and 'dried air' instead of 'dry air'. There are also awkward collocations like 'making Rain-shadow desert', which cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a higher level of lexical precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response relies on a limited range of sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in grammar, including missing articles ('From graph we can see', 'within fourth step'), incorrect prepositions ('coming from the sea'), and faulty subject-verb agreement or tense consistency ('wind pushed upwards', 'the dried air again reach... and making'). Punctuation is also problematic, notably with comma splices linking independent clauses. These frequent errors require the reader to occasionally pause and interpret the intended meaning.

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