Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-08

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 5.0)

The picture illustrates the formation of rain-shadow deserts in seven steps.

Overall, the process diagram describes how the moist air is forced up a mountain, resulting in rain on one side and dry air on the leeward side.

In contrast, winds from sea approaches toward costal area and wind pushed upwards to mountain then hot air become cools and moists which is rises towards windward side and formed a clouds after that rain will form because due to the formation of cloud onn the mountain after rain falls air become dry and continued over the mountain to towards leeward side of mountain.

in the downward side of the mountain's leeward side in downword direction and the dry winds reach in inland areas after that due to the dry air

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a seven-step process and give a relevant overview: moist air rises over a mountain, rain falls on one side, and dry air continues on the leeward side. However, the stages are not always reported accurately or clearly. For example, the air is described as becoming “hot” before cooling, whereas the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling; the final explanation of how dry winds reach inland areas is also unfinished. The response is 129 words, below the required 150, and this limits the detail available to explain the sequence. To strengthen the report, describe each key stage precisely and complete the account of the rain-shadow desert forming inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic overall structure, with an introduction, an overview, and a further paragraph describing the process. The sequence from coastal winds to rain and then dry air is broadly recognisable. However, progression becomes difficult to follow in the long third paragraph, where several stages are joined together with repeated “and,” “then,” and “after that.” The final paragraph repeats the leeward-side idea and ends with an incomplete explanation (“due to the dry air”), so the report does not reach a clear conclusion. Use separate sentences or paragraphs for the windward and leeward stages, and choose a small number of accurate linking expressions to make the sequence easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the topic. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, spelling, and collocation problems make parts of the description unclear. Examples include “costal area,” “formed a clouds,” and “in the downward side”; “hot air” is also an inaccurate description of the air shown in the diagram. Aim for precise process language and check spelling and natural combinations of words. For instance, describe air as rising and cooling, clouds as forming, and rain as falling on the windward side rather than relying on repeated general phrases such as “after that.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine stages into longer sentences, but these complex structures are often faulty, and there are frequent errors in basic sentence construction. In “winds from sea approaches,” the subject and verb do not agree, while “hot air become cools and moists which is rises” contains several problems with verb forms and clause structure. The final sentence fragment beginning “in the downward side” is also incomplete. These errors sometimes make the process difficult to understand. Build accuracy first with clear simple sentences, such as “The moist air rises and cools,” then connect them using correctly formed clauses. Check subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb forms before adding more complex structures.

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

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