Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-07

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)

This diagram illustrates the process of rain-shadow in deserts that consist about thousands of kilometers.

Overall, air moving from sea side that making clouds upward and then again move descending from mountains there dry air reached at inland areas.

Furthermore, mountain covered with air and rain that one windward side converted in clouds that moved up and rain started in this phenomena then constantly water flowing down from leeward side to the inland.

First, in this formation process starting from the sea side where wind approach coast and due to mountains this air moving up and created clouds over the sea then clouds moving top of the mountains and caused the rain falls.

Meanwhile, Dry air started at the other side of mountains that moving descend slowly to the inland there also water flow got over in inland .

In contrast, in this way the formation of rain get end to inland. Cool water and hot air making streams and then clouds become the reason of rain however moving from this process this shadow covered thousands kilometers distance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation, but the information is often inaccurate or confusing. For example, the statement 'clouds moving top of the mountains and caused the rain falls' is a vague description of the process. The student identifies the main stages—moist air rising, rain on the windward side, and dry air descending—but the lack of clarity and the inclusion of irrelevant or incorrect details (such as 'thousands of kilometers' or 'cool water and hot air making streams') mean the key features are not clearly reported. The response lacks a clear overview, which is essential for a Band 6 or higher in Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical flow is weak. While transition words like 'Furthermore', 'First', and 'In contrast' are used, they are often placed incorrectly or do not logically connect the ideas. For instance, 'In contrast' is used to introduce a summary of the process, which is not a contrast. The referencing is also unclear; it is often difficult to follow the progression of the air movement from the sea to the inland area because the sentences are disjointed and lack cohesive ties.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often used incorrectly, which impedes communication. Phrases like 'sea side', 'making clouds upward', and 'water flow got over' are unnatural and demonstrate a lack of control over technical or descriptive language. There is little attempt to use precise terminology related to geography or weather processes. The repetition of basic words and the misuse of collocations (e.g., 'formation of rain get end') indicate that the range is insufficient for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that often obscure the intended meaning. There are consistent issues with verb tenses ('clouds moving', 'rain started'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or run-on, such as 'Overall, air moving from sea side that making clouds upward and then again move descending from mountains there dry air reached at inland areas.' The lack of control over basic sentence construction and the high frequency of errors significantly impact the readability of the text.

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.