Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-06

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 given diagram illustrates the information about the one type of desert, known as a rain-desert.

Overall, it can be seen that process intake the seven different types of deserts. The process starts from the winds approach coast and finish at the dry winds reach areas. In the process two types of sides are using one is windward side and other is leeward side.

Firstly, the winds approach coast is got from the sea and pushed the upwards side. This side is located to the windward side. In the third steps air rises and cool on the mountain. The clouds gather on the mountain in the four stages.

Secondly, the winds reached at the top side of the mountain and rain starts to fall on the winds. Moreover, winds moved to the leeward side of the mountain, then winds are drying in the air, and dry winds reach at the inland areas and in inland many rain-shadow desert are moving in the small area blow the thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation, but it fails to accurately interpret the diagram. The claim that the process involves 'seven different types of deserts' is factually incorrect based on the provided image. Furthermore, the description of the stages is confusing and lacks clarity. While the student identifies the windward and leeward sides, the explanation of the meteorological process is disjointed and does not clearly explain the causal relationship between the mountain barrier and the resulting desert. The summary is underdeveloped and contains significant inaccuracies regarding the information presented in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly' is mechanical and does not effectively link the stages of the process. Referencing is often unclear, such as in the phrase 'rain starts to fall on the winds,' which is confusing. The transition between the description of the windward side and the leeward side is abrupt, making it difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of events described in the diagram.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward word choices and incorrect collocations, such as 'process intake,' 'winds approach coast is got from the sea,' and 'moving in the small area blow the thousands of kilometers.' These errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the intended meaning. The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles to use technical terms accurately to describe the geographical process shown in the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'winds moved to the leeward side... then winds are drying'), incorrect tense usage, and awkward sentence structures. Many sentences are poorly constructed, such as 'In the process two types of sides are using one is windward side and other is leeward side.' While some simple sentences are clear, the attempt at more complex structures often leads to errors that make the text difficult to parse.

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.