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 diagram below shows that how rain shadow desert is formed in seven major steps starting from sea and ending on forming rain shadow desert.

Above the sea wind approach the coast and pushed towards the upwards direction where moist air present and this moist air rise and cool to form the rain clouds. Due to the formation of the rain clouds the process of rain happened above the mountains.This side is called windward side.

This process include five major steps.These steps are in an upward direction.

Above the mountains the dry air continue on a downward direction and dry wind reach inland area and rain shadow desert come into existence. This side is called leeward side and complete in two steps. These are separated by mountains which are present in middle of them and there is a distance of thousand of kilometers which separate the sea and the rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to summarise the seven steps involved in the formation of a rain-shadow desert, identifying key elements such as the sea, winds, moist air rising, cloud formation, precipitation on the windward side, and dry air descending on the leeward side towards inland areas. However, the response lacks a clear, overarching overview of the entire process, which is essential for Band 6 and above. Furthermore, some of the information is slightly repetitive or awkwardly phrased, such as the redundant breakdown of steps into arbitrary groups. While the main features are touched upon, the lack of a cohesive summary and superficial development of the stages prevent a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into three brief paragraphs, but the paragraphing lacks logical structure, with sentences awkwardly split across sections (e.g., separating the windward and leeward descriptions into disconnected thoughts). Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes repetitive or mechanically applied, such as 'This side is called...' and 'These steps are...'. Progression is hindered by choppy sentence structures and a lack of smooth transitions between the seven sequential stages, resulting in a somewhat disjointed flow that impacts overall readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is largely basic and repetitive, relying heavily on terms directly lifted from the prompt, such as 'rain shadow desert', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'inland areas'. There are noticeable word-choice inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'the process of rain happened' instead of 'precipitation occurs' or 'rainfall takes place', and 'wind approach' instead of 'winds approach'. Less common lexical items are attempted with limited success, resulting in an inadequate range that occasionally strains comprehension.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The student demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and basic coordinate clauses. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('wind approach', 'moist air present'), missing articles ('from sea and ending on forming rain shadow desert'), and awkward prepositions ('in an upward direction'). Complex structures are rarely attempted, and when they are, they are often faulty. These frequent errors cause occasional difficulty for the reader.

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

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