Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12

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)

From the sea to the desert the area covered is thousands of kilometers. It begins with the sea and ends with the desert known as "Rain shadow desert". There is a phenomenon that occurs for the desert to form.

Firstly the wind approaches from the sea to the coast. Upon the coast it is elevated due to the steepness of the mountain. The same wind is than converted into cold moist Air.

Thus as it rises clouds are formed. After they are formed after a certain time it rains naturally.

This happens before the the cloud reach or pass ahead of the peak of the mountain.

Now at the leeward side of the mountain there is an absence of clouds and only dry air slides downwards then warm wind blows on the other surface of the mountain.

The lack of rainfall and moisture both in the air and the surface causes a desert to be formed. This desert is known as the rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the formation of a rain-shadow desert as depicted in the diagram, covering the main stages from the sea, through the mountain ascent and precipitation, down to the dry leeward side. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic and lacks a clear, cohesive introductory summary of the overall process. Furthermore, the selection of features is limited, and some descriptions lack precision, such as stating that 'the area covered is thousands of kilometers.' While the student identifies the core mechanism, the lack of well-developed comparison and detailed reporting of key features aligns best with Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is organised into short paragraphs that follow the chronological sequence of the diagram. However, the logical progression is hindered by choppy sentence structures and basic, repetitive cohesive devices such as 'Firstly,' 'Thus,' and 'Now.' Paragraphing is also under-utilised, as the response is broken into many very short segments rather than developed thematic blocks. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'The same wind is than converted.' These limitations in managing cohesion and logical flow place this response squarely at Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, with words like 'sea,' 'mountain,' 'desert,' 'wind,' and 'clouds' repeated frequently throughout the text. There is an attempt to use less common or process-specific vocabulary, such as 'phenomenon,' 'elevated,' 'moisture,' and 'leeward,' but these are accompanied by lexical and collocation errors, notably 'than' instead of 'then,' and 'slides downwards then warm wind blows.' The range is limited and minimally adequate for the task, resulting in a score of 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation omissions, such as missing commas after introductory adverbials ('Firstly the wind,' 'Upon the coast'), spelling errors ('than' instead of 'then,' 'the the'), and awkward phrasing like 'After they are formed after a certain time it rains naturally.' Complex structures are frequently faulty, causing some difficulty for the reader and fitting the Band 5.0 descriptor profile.

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

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