Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19
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 elaborates the formation of the rain shadow desert in the depth of the thousand of kilometer of sea. Overall, it explains the process in seven steps from wind approach coast to dry wind reach to the island area. Firstly, the wind form sea coast approached, moved toward the upward direction, gradually moving toward the mountains, moist air rise and cooled, whereas in next step the cloud formation happened. At the top of the mountain, rain fall, after which dry air continued over the leeward side. At the end, dry wind reached inland areas. Notably, it is the overall phenomena of the rain shadow desert formation.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to describe the seven-step process of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, identifying the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies in the description, such as stating that the rain shadow desert is formed in the depth of the 'thousand of kilometer of sea' rather than recognizing that the horizontal arrow indicates thousands of kilometres of distance across the land and sea. Furthermore, the length requirement of at least 150 words is severely unmet, as the response contains only 107 words. This results in an under-developed overview and limited coverage of comparative spatial features, placing the response in Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text exhibits some organizational structure, opening with a basic introduction and concluding with a summary statement. Transitional markers such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'whereas in next step', and 'At the end' are employed to guide the reader through the sequential stages of the diagram. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive transitional patterns. Paragraphing is extremely limited, with nearly the entire response crammed into a single block of text rather than being properly structured into logical paragraphs. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical, corresponding to the descriptors for Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, with several lexical errors and awkward collocations. Examples include 'elaborates the formation' used inaccurately, 'thousand of kilometer of sea', and 'wind form sea coast approached'. The student attempts some less common topic-specific vocabulary such as 'moist air', 'leeward side', and 'phenomena', but these are often undermined by grammatical inaccuracies in word formation and collocation, such as 'rain fall' instead of 'rain falls' or 'precipitation'. The range is sufficient for a basic description but contains noticeable errors that occasionally impede smooth reading, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and prepositions throughout the text. For instance, 'moist air rise and cooled' combines mismatched verb forms, and 'dry wind reach to the island area' contains an incorrect preposition and a confusion between 'inland' and 'island'. Punctuation is basic, and run-on structures occur due to comma splices. While meaning can generally be parsed with effort, the high frequency of grammatical slips limits the score to Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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