Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18

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 information about the stages of formation of rain-shadow deserts which started from sea and end up at inland.

Overall, the formation consisted of multiple stages. Wind approach coast is the first stage that move upward windward side of mountains. Furthmore, wind pushed up than moist in air which form clouds and rain falls . Now the dry air leeward side . Finally dry winds reach at inland areas and rain shadow desert formed here.

At the beginning, winds approach coast from sea and pushed upwards where it moist air rises and cools. Now clouds formed and rain falling started at windward side.

By the contrast, after rain falling, air continues to dry over mountain toward leeward side.The process continues until wind get fullydry. When full of the wind get dried, it started to move toward iland areas and reached at inland areas.Finally, the process of Rain-shadow desert is completed. Furthmore, inland and coast at sea side has distance of thousands of kilometres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover all stages of the rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, beginning with winds approaching the coast and ending with the inland desert. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph ('Overall, the formation consisted of multiple stages'), but it lacks sufficient development and clarity regarding the overall spatial progression. Furthermore, key details are poorly communicated due to grammatical interference and broken syntax, such as 'Now the dry air leeward side' and 'When full of the wind get dried'. While all parts of the diagram are acknowledged, the ideas are under-developed and lack precision, placing this response firmly in Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into paragraphs, attempting an introduction, body, and conclusion-like summary. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by poor cohesion and abrupt transitions. Linking words are either misused or absent, such as 'Furthmore' and 'Now clouds formed'. The use of pronouns and referencing is often unclear (e.g., 'When full of the wind get dried, it started...'), which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of the process smoothly. Overall arrangement shows some organisation, but cohesive devices are inaccurate and mechanical, characteristic of Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive (e.g., 'winds approach coast', 'rain falling', 'dry winds', 'inland areas'). There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations throughout, such as 'started from sea and end up at inland', 'wind pushed up than moist in air', and 'ailand areas'. While the language is minimally adequate to convey the general topic of the diagram, the frequent word-choice errors and lack of less common lexical items restrict the score to Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts some complex structures, but these attempts are almost entirely faulty and difficult to parse (e.g., 'Wind approach coast is the first stage that move upward windward side of mountains'). There is a lack of control over basic verb forms, tense consistency, and prepositions ('move upward windward side', 'rain falling started'). Simple sentences often contain severe grammatical errors. Because attempts at complex sentences frequently fail and errors cause reading difficulty, this performance meets the criteria for Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 based on the presence of some comprehensible simple clauses.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.