Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-09

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)

The diagram illustrates how rain-shadow deserts are formed.

Overall, the natural process consists of seven stages, beginning with winds approaching coast from the sea, ending with dry winds reach inland areas, which forms rain-shadow deserts.

Initially, winds from the sea approach coast, which then pushed upward top the mountain. The winds go up to the mountain, where the moist air rises and cools. When the cooled air reaches windward side of the mountain, it causes clouds formation. In the following stage, the formed clouds go up to the mountain summit, that is when rain falls.

After raining, dry air is created, it is then the dry air continues over mountain, reaching the leeward side. The dry winds from the mountain reaches inland areas, which then creates rain-shadow deserts on the land. The distance from sea to the rain-shadow deserts is thousands of kilometres

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides an overview of the process and covers the main stages shown in the diagram. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the score. While the key features are identified, the description of the process is somewhat repetitive and lacks the level of detail required for a higher band. The explanation of the 'rain-shadow' effect is accurate, but the overall development is limited by the brevity of the text. To improve, ensure you expand on the descriptions of each stage and meet the minimum word count to fully address all parts of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into a logical sequence, following the stages of the process from the sea to the inland area. Paragraphing is used, though the structure is quite basic. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'In the following stage', and 'After raining' are used to guide the reader, but they are somewhat mechanical. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'After raining, dry air is created, it is then the dry air continues over mountain', where the sentence structure is disjointed and lacks smooth transitions between clauses.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite limited and repetitive. You use basic terms like 'winds', 'sea', 'mountain', and 'air' repeatedly. There is little attempt to use more precise or academic vocabulary related to geography or meteorological processes. For instance, instead of 'clouds formation', 'cloud formation' or 'the development of clouds' would be more natural. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more specific terminology and vary your word choices to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'winds approaching coast' (missing articles), 'pushed upward top the mountain' (incorrect preposition), and 'dry winds from the mountain reaches' (subject-verb agreement error). Additionally, there are several run-on sentences and comma splices, such as 'After raining, dry air is created, it is then the dry air continues over mountain'. Improving your control over articles, prepositions, and sentence punctuation is essential for a higher score.

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

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