Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-31

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 rain Shadow deserts are formed in rainy Areas. The Wind approaches the Coast slow and steady. and then Winds pushed upwards with the pressure according to weather condition.Then Moist Air rises and cools according to the Weather through passing Windward Side the Clouds form in the upward side of the Desert and then rain falls downward side and pass through the leeward side. And slow and steady the dry air continues over mountain and then Dry winds reach inland areas.and that's how rain Shadow deserts are formed the wind travels from sea to inland thousand of Kilometres and it passes through mountainous areas basically it's made up of winds and rain..when winds rain travels together and collaborate..it forms rain Shadow desert. rain Shadow deserts are underneath the Mountains. Well mountains are always dry and rains doesn't stick at the Top of the Mountains and rains travels miles a lot and drop down slowly slowly downwards from the mountains because it can't stay stuck at the top of the Mountains water/rain doesn't stays consistent at any place water moves a lot when they find there way the water/ rains moves to that Place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation but fails to provide a clear, objective summary of the diagram. The description is fragmented and lacks a logical flow, often relying on informal, repetitive explanations (e.g., 'basically it's made up of winds and rain') rather than a technical description of the meteorological process shown. Key features such as the windward side, the mountain barrier, and the resulting dry leeward side are mentioned, but the explanation is confusing and lacks the precision required for an Academic Task 1 report. The response does not clearly distinguish between the stages of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text lacks paragraphing, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of the process. Cohesive devices are used in a very basic and often repetitive manner, such as the frequent use of 'and' and 'then' to link clauses. There is a lack of logical sequencing; the explanation jumps between ideas without clear transitions. Referencing is often unclear, particularly when the writer uses 'it' or 'they' without a clear antecedent. The overall structure is disjointed, and the lack of clear organization significantly hinders the reader's ability to follow the scientific process described.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The writer relies on basic terms like 'wind', 'rain', and 'mountains' throughout the text, failing to use more precise, academic terminology relevant to the topic, such as 'moisture-laden', 'precipitation', 'orographic lift', or 'arid'. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'rains doesn't stick at the Top' and 'slowly slowly downwards'. The lack of variety and the informal tone are inappropriate for an academic report, limiting the score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'water/ rains doesn't stays'), incorrect capitalization (e.g., 'Wind', 'Coast', 'Kilometres'), and punctuation errors, including missing spaces after periods and unnecessary slashes. The sentence structures are predominantly simple or poorly constructed compound sentences. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the frequent errors in basic grammar demonstrate a lack of control over sentence formation, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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