Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 image shows a process which converts normal windy air into a dry desert with the help of the natural proccess in different phases.

Overall, the process includes 7 major steps, and it is completely made up with the help of nature. Moreover, it shows complete path of the coastel winds changes into a dry winds.

Firstly, the winds from the sea moves towards to the shore, and with the help of, mountain and gravitical force it travels up to the mountain. Third step, includes moist rises from the air and it cools down. therefore, now it converts into the small cloud forms and later, it falls(rain) .

on the opposite side of the moutain(leeward -side), the dry air drops follows a downwards to the land areas and finally, a dry winds will stays on the surface because it is heavier than the air weight. Afterwards, the land will gradually convert in the desert and it is also called as a Rain-shadowed 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, from coastal winds to inland desert creation. However, some aspects of the process are under-developed or described with slight inaccuracies, such as the mechanism of cloud formation and precipitation. The overview captures the general 7-step process well, but the development of ideas lacks the extension and precise detail needed to push into higher bands. Key spatial features like the windward and leeward sides of the mountains are mentioned, but the reporting of the sequence could be more thoroughly integrated to present a fully polished summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical progression through the numbered stages of the diagram. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction, overview, and body stages. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, with transitional markers like 'Firstly', 'Third step, includes', and 'on the opposite side' appearing somewhat disjointed. Referencing within sentences is occasionally unclear, such as 'dry air drops follows a downwards to the land areas', which disrupts the smooth flow of information from one sentence to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the general meaning of the diagram with words like 'moist air', 'precipitation', and 'inland areas'. The student attempts less common lexical items such as 'gravitical force' and 'Rain-shadowed desert', but these contain word-choice and word-form inaccuracies. There are noticeable spelling and phrasing errors—for instance, 'proccess', 'coastel', and 'mountain(leeward -side)'—though these do not severely impede communication. Broadening the range of precise scientific vocabulary would elevate the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and prepositional phrases. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'winds from the sea moves', 'moist rises from the air', and 'a dry winds will stays'. Punctuation is also erratic, with lower-case beginnings at the start of sentences ('on the opposite side') and awkward comma splices. These structures limit the control of grammar and result in sentences that require extra effort from the reader.

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