Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15

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 illustrated diagram depicts the information about a desert, which is called a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is clear that the diverse steps show us the detailed process of the huge mountains help in the of rain. Moreover, how wind approaches to the coast and how the dry winds reach to the inland areas. A huge gap of thousands of kilometers in between the coast and the inland areas is shown in the diagram.

In general, the formation of rain starts from a sea from where wind approaches and the sea pushed winds into upward direction, after that the moist air raises and created the cool air which went upside crossing the mountains windward side and converted into clouds form. Furthermore, after the clouds formed rain.

In addition, after the rain falls from the peak of the mountain the dry air proceeds over mountain and started coming downwards while crossing the leeward side of the mountain. At the last step dry winds reached to the inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram. While the overview mentions the steps and the thousands of kilometers distance, the response struggles significantly with accuracy and clarity in conveying the sequence of the visual data. For instance, the phrasing 'the huge mountains help in the of rain' contains a major grammatical omission and fails to clearly explain the orographic precipitation process. The stages are listed in a somewhat disjointed manner, such as 'after the clouds formed rain', which lacks standard academic phrasing. Although the main features are touched upon—winds, mountains, moist air, and dry inland areas—the overall execution is limited and unclear in places, aligning best with a Band 5 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into short paragraphs, but the logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions and mechanical cohesive devices, such as 'Overall, it is clear that...', 'Moreover, how wind approaches...', and 'In addition, after the rain falls...'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, for example in sentences where verbs or subjects are missing or conflated. Paragraphing is attempted to separate the introduction, overall trends, and sequential stages, but the internal flow of sentences often feels stilted and lacks seamless cohesion. This demonstrates the characteristics of Band 5 coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with noticeable errors in word choice and collocation. Examples include 'the huge mountains help in the of rain', 'sea pushed winds into upward direction', and 'moist air raises and created the cool air'. The writer attempts some less common terms like 'formation', 'approach', and 'inland areas', but inaccuracy in word forms (e.g., 'raises' instead of 'rises', 'clouds form' used as a noun clause improperly) restricts the lexical score. Communication is occasionally strained due to these lexical limitations, fitting the Band 5 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on basic coordinate and subordinate clauses that frequently contain errors. There are multiple grammatical breakdowns, such as sentence fragments and missing verbs (e.g., 'the diverse steps show us the detailed process of the huge mountains help in the of rain' and 'how wind approaches to the coast and how the dry winds reach'). Complex structures are attempted but are consistently faulty. Frequent errors in preposition usage, tense consistency, and word form cause difficulty for the reader, placing this response firmly in Band 5.

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

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