Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20

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 illustrate, the process of formation rain-shadow deserts.

Overall, the process includes seven stages begining from the winds are formed from the coastal area and driven thousands of kilometers through the mointaines and finally, reached island areas.

At the begening, winds are approched from the coastal area and then gradually pushed upward to the mountain. At the windward side of the moutains the moist air was rose and cooled. After that, clouds were formed from the moist air. The cloudes were created water droplets and rain was fallen at the top of the mointaines.

Thenafter, dry air were continued to travel over the mountaines from the top part to the leeward side. At the leeward side dry winds were formed and it dramatically fallen down to reached island areas. Finally the rain-shadow desserts are formed while going through length process. Also his wind passed thousands of kilometers to form this desert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all key stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process, from moist air rising over the windward side of the mountain to dry winds reaching inland areas. An overview is attempted, outlining the seven stages and the horizontal scale across thousands of kilometres. However, the summary contains minor inaccuracies in reading the diagram (such as stating rain falls at the top of the mountains and mentioning 'island areas' instead of 'inland areas'). While all parts of the prompt are addressed, the development of ideas is limited due to frequent grammatical and lexical interference. This places the response in Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is organized into three short paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and a body section. There is an attempt to sequence the stages chronologically using cohesive markers like 'At the begening', 'After that', and 'Finally'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, such as the sudden shift into the final paragraph with 'Thenafter, dry air were continued...'. Paragraphing is also somewhat fragmented, lacking clear progression between the overall summary and detailed description. These limitations align with Band 5.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with noticeable errors in word choice and spelling throughout the text (e.g., 'illustrate' instead of 'illustrates', 'mointaines', 'begegning', 'approched', 'desserts' instead of 'deserts', and 'island' instead of 'inland'). The range is minimally adequate to describe the diagram, but incorrect word forms and spelling mistakes cause some difficulty for the reader and impede clear communication at times, reflecting a Band 4.0 to 5.0 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent errors in passive voice and verb tenses (e.g., 'The diagram illustrate, the process', 'winds are formed', 'moist air was rose', 'rain was fallen', 'dry air were continued'). Punctuation is also problematic, with misplaced commas separating subjects and verbs. These frequent grammatical errors cause strain and difficulty for the reader, placing the response firmly in Band 4.5.

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

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