Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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 image shows the formation of rain shadow deserts in seven steps,how the wind approaches from the sea carring water vapours, it rains on the mountain top, dry winds reach the inland areas and form rain shadow.

From the sea coast fast winds reach to mountains after collision, air is forced upwards due to which moist air rises at a height and cool down, when air reaches to a certain height, moist air becomes dense and form cloud, due to fast air blowing clouds keep on rising at stage 5 where there is a mountain peak, there clouds start showering the rain, after that dry air forms which continue over the mountain and get on other side of the sea, windward side is the sea side while the side opposite of it is called leeward side, in leeward side dry air descends and reaches to inland areas, There that air forms rain shadows

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student attempts to summarize the seven steps of the rain-shadow desert formation process shown in the diagram, touching upon key features such as moist winds rising, cooling, forming clouds, precipitation, and the dry air descending on the leeward side to create the desert. However, the response lacks a clear, overarching overview of the entire process, which is essential for a Band 7 score in Academic Task 1. Furthermore, some descriptions are slightly confused or imprecise, such as the claim that dry air 'get on other side of the sea,' which misinterprets the geography where the dry air reaches inland areas across thousands of kilometres of mountains. The data is reported but the development is somewhat mechanical and underdeveloped, fitting the Band 5 to 6 criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is written as a single, very long, run-on paragraph. There is a complete lack of paragraphing, which significantly disrupts the logical structure and overall readability of the text. Cohesive devices are weak or absent; sentences are largely linked together by comma splices (e.g., 'the wind approaches from the sea carring water vapours, it rains on the mountain top') rather than appropriate conjunctions or discourse markers. While there is a chronological progression that follows the numbered steps in the diagram, the poor mechanical organization, lack of cohesive variety, and absence of paragraph breaks prevent the response from achieving a higher score, placing it firmly at Band 5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a minimally adequate vocabulary range suitable for describing a simple physical process, utilizing task-specific terms such as 'moist air,' 'mountain peak,' 'windward side,' 'leeward side,' and 'rain shadows.' However, there are numerous spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including 'carring' instead of carrying, 'cool down' instead of cools down, and awkward phrasing such as 'after collision, air is forced upwards.' Less common lexical items are attempted but often marred by morphological or collocational inaccuracies. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the general idea, but the repetitive and inaccurate usage restricts the score to a Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammatical structure of the response is characterized by heavy reliance on run-on sentences joined by commas rather than proper subordination or coordination. There is a very limited range of complex structures, and attempts at multi-clause sentences often result in grammatical faults, such as missing subjects, incorrect verb tense consistency, and awkward phrasing ('due to fast air blowing clouds keep on rising at stage 5 where there is a mountain peak, there clouds start showering the rain'). Punctuation is weak, featuring missing full stops and widespread comma splices. Errors are frequent and often cause the reader some difficulty, matching the descriptors for Band 5.

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

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