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 information regarding process of creating rain shadow deserts.

Overall, it is readily apparent that formation of rain shadow starts by winds approach coast and ends with dry winds reach towards Inland areas. The entire procedures depend on nature cycle.

At the first glance, winds are started to blow and approached to coast where winds are pushed in upwards directions. After that, moist air are rosen and cooled. In next, clouds are formed and then rains are started falling towards leeward side .

Moving further, when rains falls down towads leewards side then dry air are continued to blow over mountain. Furthermore, this formation take thousands of kilometres. After that, dry winds are reached on Inland areaswhere entire process are completed and made as a rain shadow desert>

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the diagram showing the formation of a rain-shadow desert, noting key stages such as winds approaching the coast, air cooling, clouds forming, and dry air moving over the mountains. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the sequence, as rain actually falls on the windward side rather than the leeward side as stated by the student. Furthermore, the length requirement has not been met: the response contains only 130 words, falling short of the mandatory 150-word minimum. This under-length impacts the overall development and completeness of the task. Consequently, Task Achievement is penalised for insufficient length and minor inaccuracies in data interpretation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is organised into short paragraphs, attempting to follow the chronological order of the process. Cohesive devices and transition markers such as 'Overall', 'At the first glance', 'After that', and 'Moving further' are used to signal progression. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes mechanical or awkward, as seen in phrases like 'In next' and 'After that, dry winds are reached on Inland areaswhere entire process are completed'. Paragraphing is present, but the overall logical flow is occasionally disrupted by confusing phrasing and abrupt transitions between stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with frequent word-choice and collocation errors. Examples include 'process of creating rain shadow deserts' instead of 'formation', 'nature cycle' instead of 'natural cycle', and 'winds are started to blow and approached'. There are attempts to use topic-specific terminology such as 'moist air', 'clouds', and 'dry winds', but lack of control results in awkward phrasing like 'made as a rain shadow desert'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task, with noticeable errors that occasionally hinder natural expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The writing exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and passive constructions that are frequently inaccurate. There are numerous grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense and voice confusion (e.g., 'winds are started to blow', 'moist air are rosen', 'rains are started falling', 'dry winds are reached'). Punctuation and spacing errors are also present, such as missing spaces before words and a stray closing angle bracket at the very end of the text. These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader and reflect weak control over complex structures.

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