Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The bar chart below shows the percentage of Australian men and women in different age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The diagram illustrates the step-by-step process by which a rain-shadow desert forms on the leeward side of a mountain range, as moist air from the sea is intercepted and depleted of moisture.

Overall, the formation involves seven sequential stages: moist maritime air is forced upward over mountains, leading to condensation, rainfall on the windward slope, and subsequent drying of the air as it descends the opposite side - creating arid conditions inland.

Initially, winds carrying moisture approach the coast (1) and are pushed upward along the mountain’s windward slope (2). As the air rises, it cools adiabatically, causing water vapour to condense into clouds (3 to 4). This results in heavy precipitation on the windward side (5), saturating the atmosphere. By contrast, the now-dry air continues over the mountain crest (6) and descends the leeward slope, warming and absorbing moisture from the land below. Consequently, the inland areas receive little to no rainfall, forming a rain-shadow desert (7), located thousands of kilometres from the coast.

Notably, the stark contrast between the wet windward side and the arid leeward side highlights the orographic effect’s decisive role in regional climate differentiation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 1.0

The response is completely off-topic. The task required a summary of a bar chart regarding physical activity levels among Australian men and women in 2010. Instead, the student provided a detailed description of the formation of a rain-shadow desert. Because the student failed to address the prompt entirely, the response cannot be assessed for task achievement in relation to the provided data. According to the IELTS criteria, a response that is unrelated to the task must receive a very low score for Task Achievement, as it fails to report any of the required information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

Despite being off-topic, the text itself is well-structured. It uses clear paragraphing, logical sequencing, and appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'By contrast', and 'Consequently'. The progression of ideas is logical within the context of the description provided. If the content had matched the prompt, this would have been a high-scoring response for coherence and cohesion. However, because the content is irrelevant, the overall effectiveness of the communication is severely compromised.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sophisticated and precise vocabulary range, using terms like 'maritime air', 'adiabatically', 'orographic effect', and 'regional climate differentiation'. The language is natural and academic in tone. While the vocabulary is impressive, it is entirely misapplied to the task. The lexical resource is strong in terms of range and control, but it does not fulfill the requirements of the IELTS Academic Task 1 prompt.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The grammar is excellent, featuring a variety of complex sentence structures, such as 'As the air rises, it cools adiabatically, causing water vapour to condense into clouds'. There is a high level of accuracy throughout the text, with correct punctuation and sophisticated use of participial phrases. The grammatical control is consistent and error-free. Similar to the other criteria, the high quality of the writing is undermined by the fact that it addresses a completely different topic than the one assigned.

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

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