Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-28

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 shows the formation of rain-shadow deserts. It covered thousands of kilometres from seacoast to desert. It has total 7 steps. In the upcoming coming I will explain the full process.

overall, starting with the first step the wind approaches the coast ana it goes upward direction to the mountains in the second step. Ather that, the gets moist and it rises and cools. Then after, the clouds formed and then in fifth step it started raining at top of the hills.

At sixth step, the winds moving forward and downward and it became dry and continue blowing. In the final step, the dry air reached at inland areas, that is also called Rain- shadow Desert. The whole process covered total 1000s od kilometres from starting to end.

in conclusion, it showed how Rain-shadow Desert formed. It starts with winds approach and end at Dry wind.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the student identifies the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation, the description is overly simplistic and relies on a step-by-step listing rather than a cohesive summary of the process. The overview is weak, and the response lacks a sophisticated analysis of the relationship between the wind, moisture, and topography. To improve, the student should focus on integrating the stages into a more fluid narrative and ensuring the length requirement is met to allow for a more comprehensive explanation of the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is mechanical and repetitive. The use of transition words like 'In the upcoming coming', 'Ather that', and 'Then after' is awkward and often grammatically incorrect. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the connection between sentences feels disjointed. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to use a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that each paragraph flows logically into the next without relying on rigid, numbered-style sequencing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'steps', 'wind', and 'dry'. There are several spelling errors, such as 'ana' instead of 'and', 'Ather' instead of 'After', and 'od' instead of 'of'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe the scientific process depicted in the diagram with precision. To improve, the student should incorporate more topic-specific terminology related to meteorology and geography, such as 'moisture-laden', 'precipitation', 'topography', and 'arid'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'It has total 7 steps', 'the gets moist', 'clouds formed', and 'the dry air reached at inland areas'. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the control over basic grammar, such as articles and verb tenses, is inconsistent. The punctuation is also problematic in several places. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and practicing the construction of complex sentences to demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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

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