Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-09

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)

Diagram is forecasting the creation of rain-shadow desert which is the result of dry winds coming thousands of kilometres all along from the coastal area by passing the mountains.

Noticing the point 1, where the winds approch the coast from sea and moved upward by hitting the mountains and then transforming into moist air at point 3. At point 5 rain falls after the cloud formation at point 4 crossing the windward side. Further the dry air continous going downwards crossing the leeward sidea and reached at point 7 where the dry winds reach inland areas. When the Dry winds reach at inland areas a type of desert called rain-shadow desert is formed.

As a conculsion, rain-shadow desert is formed when winds passing through 7 points starting from coast and finishing at inland areas covering thousannds of kilometres including mountains.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main process and include several key stages: winds arrive from the sea, rise over the mountains, produce clouds and rain on the windward side, and continue inland as dry winds. However, the explanation is only partial and some details are unclear or inaccurate. For example, the air does not transform into moist air at point 3; rather, moist air rises and cools there. The response also does not clearly explain that the rain-shadow desert forms on the leeward side, beyond the mountains, and the overview repeats the sequence rather than summarising its main cause and outcome. The response is 140 words, below the required 150. Add a little more accurate explanation of the stages and the contrast between the wet windward and dry leeward sides.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in broadly chronological order, and references to points 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 help the reader follow the diagram. The paragraph break also separates the process description from a concluding statement. However, the progression is not consistently smooth: the opening sentence is difficult to interpret, and phrases such as “Noticing the point 1” and “Further” do not connect ideas naturally. The final paragraph largely repeats the earlier account instead of adding a clear summary. Use a straightforward overview followed by a step-by-step description, and link stages with precise transitions such as “As the air rises,” “Consequently,” and “On the leeward side.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “coast,” “mountains,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “inland areas,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which makes parts of the description awkward. “Forecasting the creation” is not suitable for describing a diagram, while “dry air continues going downwards” does not clearly express that it travels over the mountain. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “approch,” “continous,” “conculsion,” and “thousannds.” Choose precise process verbs such as “approach,” “rise,” “cool,” “cross,” and “reach,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine stages using clauses, for example, “after the cloud formation at point 4,” and it uses present-tense forms to describe a process. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and several sentences are grammatically faulty or incomplete. “Noticing the point 1, where the winds…” is a fragment, while “the dry air continous going downwards … and reached at point 7” shifts tense and has an unclear verb pattern. The opening sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure. Use complete sentences with a consistent present tense, for example: “The winds rise over the mountains, where the moist air cools and clouds form.” Check articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries.

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