Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15

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 process of rainn shadow desert forming. The image shows that it forms after going through various processes under the earth.

The shown process starts from air approaching the coastel area of sea. As it reaches the beach, the wind is being pushed in upward direction. The next process is formatin of moist air. Hence, the air cools down after going through all this procedure. After that, the clouds are formed and the procedure of rain fall starts happening.

The 6th step shown in figure is the movement of dry air over high mountains. And, it strats moving towards leeward side. The last step demonstrated is entrance of dry wind into inland areas below the the earth.

Overall the procedure of formation of rain shadow desert conatins 7 various steps,. In which the propagation and direction of wind plays the most important role. Hence air is the main component osf all this process.

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 student describes the process as occurring 'under the earth' and mentions 'inland areas below the earth,' which is a fundamental misunderstanding of the geographical process shown. While the response identifies the steps, the lack of clarity regarding the actual scientific mechanism (moist air rising, cooling, precipitation, and dry air descending) prevents a full development of the task. The summary is superficial and contains inaccurate information regarding the physical location of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of steps. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'The next process is' and 'After that'. The logical progression is hindered by the inaccurate description of the steps, making the overall flow feel disjointed. While there is an attempt at an overview, the connection between the steps and the final result is not clearly articulated, leading to a lack of overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and contains several spelling errors, such as 'rainn', 'coastel', 'formatin', 'strats', 'conatins', and 'osf'. These errors are frequent and occasionally distracting. The range of vocabulary is basic and lacks the precision required for a technical process description. There is little evidence of an attempt to use less common or academic vocabulary to describe the meteorological phenomena, relying instead on simple, repetitive phrasing that does not demonstrate the flexibility expected at higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'process of rain shadow desert forming' (should be 'formation'), 'wind is being pushed in upward direction' (missing article), and 'below the the earth' (repetition). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with a comma used incorrectly at the end of a sentence. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and spelling limits the clarity of the writing.

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.