Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 one type of desert known s a rain shadow desert is formed.

It clearly obsevered that, the diagram shows the 7 types stages of building the shadow desert.

Firstly, it can start from the coastal or sea religion the winds can be apporach the coast and winds can be move to the mountains. After it can pushed upwards of the mountain. Secondly, moist air rises and cool then the windward side of the mountain. Additionally clouds get into form after sometime the rain falls start.

Furthermore, the dry air continues over mountain it get into leeward side. finally, the dry winds reach inland areas. The dry wind forming rain shadow desert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While the student identifies the main stages of the process, the description is overly simplistic and lacks the necessary detail to fully explain the formation of a rain-shadow desert. Key features, such as the specific temperature changes or the contrast between the windward and leeward sides, are mentioned but not sufficiently developed. The summary lacks a clear overview or a concluding synthesis of the process, which is essential for an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into short paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical flow is hindered by frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. While some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' are used, they are often placed incorrectly or used to connect ideas that are not clearly articulated. The progression of information is somewhat mechanical, and the lack of sufficient length makes it difficult to establish a smooth, coherent narrative of the process described in the diagram.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. There are several spelling errors, such as 'obsevered' instead of 'observed', 'religion' instead of 'region', and 'apporach' instead of 'approach'. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles to use precise scientific or descriptive language appropriate for a process description. To improve, the student needs to expand their range of vocabulary to include more specific terms related to geography and climate, and pay closer attention to spelling and word choice accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'winds can be move'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'rain falls start'), and awkward sentence structures. The range of grammatical structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences with errors in tense and word order. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. To reach a higher band, the student must focus on mastering basic sentence construction and reducing the frequency of errors in tense and word formation.

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

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