Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05

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 5.0)

The formation diagram describes the pattern of how the rain shadow desert is formed by winds and rain.

Overall, the winds approching from sea towards the mountain from windward side formed rain clouds and continue to blow over the mountain and reached inland areas to form rain shadow desert.

Initally, moist winds from sea reached the coast and continue to push upwards to top of mountain from windward side. As moist air reached the top of mountain, it begins to cools down, in the meantine clouds are taking shape. As a result rain pours at the tip of the mountain. After that dry air continues to blow over the mountain from leeward side and reaches the hot inland area and thus rain shadow desert formed at the bottom of the soil.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main stages of the process, identifying the windward and leeward sides and the formation of rain. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the analysis. While the main features are identified, the description lacks detail regarding the specific atmospheric conditions or the contrast between the two sides of the mountain. Because the response fails to meet the length requirement, it cannot fully develop the information provided in the diagram, resulting in a lower score for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into three short paragraphs, which provides a basic structure. There is a logical progression from the initial wind movement to the final formation of the desert. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'As moist air', 'As a result', 'After that'). The transition between sentences is functional but lacks the sophisticated linking required for higher bands. Paragraphing is present, but the overall flow is somewhat disjointed due to the brevity of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using subject-specific terms like 'windward', 'leeward', 'moist', and 'rain shadow'. However, the range is limited, and there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'at the bottom of the soil' instead of 'at the base of the mountain' or 'in the inland region'. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic control. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'winds approching' (spelling), 'formed rain clouds' (tense inconsistency), and 'it begins to cools down' (subject-verb agreement). Additionally, 'in the meantine' contains a spelling error. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors and the lack of a wide range of complex structures prevent a higher score. The control over punctuation and verb forms needs improvement to ensure accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.