Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22

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 the formation of a one type desert, known as a rain- shadow desert, by the help of seven different steps.

Overall, it presents the peak detailing, how rain occus and changes into dry air by the proposed brief definition, and the diagram itself.

Firstly, one area demonstrating the process of rain. Winds approach coast from the sea and pushed the winds upwards side. Additionally, winds start absorbing the moist from the air, it rises and cools then formed into cloud, the cloud reached the summit of a mountain then cause rain.

Furthermore, after rain done, dry air continues moving downwards, covered the thousand of kilometers distance. Lastly, it crossed the leeward side located in middle of the mountain, after being fell down completely it reached at the bottom known as insland area and started moving straight side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the formation of a rain-shadow desert using the seven steps provided in the diagram. However, the word count is 140 words, which fails to meet the minimum requirement of 150 words, leading to a direct penalty in this criterion. While the main features such as moist air rising, cloud formation, precipitation, and dry air moving over the mountain are touched upon, the information is somewhat muddled and lacks precise reporting of the spatial relationships and progression. The overview provided in the second paragraph is confusing and poorly articulated. To improve, ensure all parts of the diagram are clearly linked and described in a logical sequence, and always exceed the 150-word minimum.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into four paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward phrasing and confusing transitions. For instance, the transition 'Furthermore, after rain done' is ungrammatical and abrupt. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inappropriately, such as 'by the help of' and 'start absorbing the moist from the air'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks clarity, particularly in the weak overview paragraph which fails to effectively summarize the main stages of the diagram. Referencing between the windward and leeward sides is also imprecise.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and sometimes inaccurate or unnatural. Examples include 'peak detailing', 'rain occus', 'absorbing the moist', and 'insland area'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'summit', 'leeward side', and 'rain-shadow desert' (borrowed from the prompt), but control over word formation and collocation is weak. There are noticeable errors in word choice (e.g., 'moist' used as a noun instead of 'moisture', 'felled down' instead of 'descending') that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader and limit the precision required for an academic task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple or awkwardly concatenated clauses. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, including subject-verb agreement issues ('clouds form', 'rain occus'), incorrect verb forms ('pushed the winds upwards side', 'after rain done', 'being fell down'), and missing articles or prepositions ('known as a one type desert', 'reached at the bottom'). These errors occur consistently across sentences, although communication of the basic process is generally maintained despite the frequent inaccuracies.

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

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