Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 diagram illustrates how one type of desert,known as a rain-shadow desert,is formed. The process can be started from winds approach coast and end at dry winds reach inland areas.This method can consist of seven steps.

First the water in the sea can be cinvert into winds approach coast ,after that the wind can be pushed upwards.In the third step the moist air rose and cool,moreover it can be converted into clouds forms in fourth step,when clouds can be formed and then the rain can be fell on the mountains ,on the other hand they water which fell on the mountain it can be dry continues by the air over the mountain ,When the air dry it can be leeward slide over downward.At last the water which can be fell from the clouds can be reached inland areas ,but the water which can be fell are in the form of dry wind

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the subject and recognise that the process has seven stages, and you mention several relevant features, including rising air, cloud formation, rainfall and dry winds moving inland. However, the account does not clearly explain the key cause-and-effect sequence: moist air rises over the windward side, cools and produces rain, while the remaining dry air crosses the mountain and reaches the leeward inland area, creating the desert. Some details are inaccurate or confusing, especially the claim that sea water is converted into wind and the repeated references to water reaching inland. The response is also below the required 150 words; 13 words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count. Develop an accurate overview and describe each stage more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic chronological framework: it begins with winds approaching the coast and uses markers such as “First,” “In the third step” and “At last.” This gives the reader some sense of sequence. However, most of the information is placed in one long paragraph, and the progression becomes difficult to follow when several stages are joined together with commas. Connectors such as “moreover” and “on the other hand” do not clearly express the relationships between the process stages, while repeated references to “the water” make it hard to track whether you mean rain, air or wind. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and process details, and link each stage with precise, simple transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “mountains,” “leeward” and “dry wind,” showing an attempt to describe the diagram specifically. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms make the meaning unclear. For example, “the water in the sea can be cinvert into winds” misrepresents the process, and “the air dry it can be leeward slide over downward” is difficult to interpret. “Clouds forms” and “dry continues by the air” are also inaccurate expressions. Choose precise terms for air movement and rainfall, and avoid repeating “water” when describing dry air. Check spelling and use standard collocations such as “air rises” and “rain falls.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect stages in longer sentences and use sequencing phrases, but the sentence structures are often faulty, which sometimes obscures the process. For instance, “the moist air rose and cool” shifts tense and lacks parallel verb forms; “the rain can be fell” uses an incorrect passive construction; and “the water which fell on the mountain it can be dry continues” has an unclear clause structure. Articles and agreement are also inconsistent, as in “clouds forms.” Commas frequently join several independent ideas, creating run-on sentences. Practise concise present-simple descriptions of processes, such as “Moist air rises and cools,” and use accurate passive forms only where needed. Full stops between stages would improve control.

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

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