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 depicts the process in which a type of desert formed, known as a rain-shadow desert, through sequential process.

Overall, there are seven distinct stages and four major spots in which the winds travel. In the initial stage winds approach from the coast level and culminating in the dry winds reach inland areas.

Firstly, the winds approch from the coast level, winds pushed in upwards direction. The winds absorb the rising mositure from the air and cool in temperature. Therefore, moisture-laden winds reach the windward side of the mountain and start forming into clouds. The cloud reaches the summit of the mountain and begin precipitation.

Lastly, after releasing all the access water, the parched winds floating downwards passing through the leeward side. The winds desends to the

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count of 150 words, stopping at only 128 words, which incurs a direct penalty on Task Achievement. Furthermore, the text is incomplete, cutting off abruptly mid-sentence ("The winds desends to the"). While the introduction attempts an overview and describes the initial steps such as winds approaching from the coast and rising over mountains, the severe under-length and truncated conclusion prevent the response from fully addressing all parts of the visual data. Consequently, the description of the later stages, including the rain-shadow desert and leeward side, is underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay displays some basic attempts at organization through transitional markers like "Overall", "Firstly", and "Lastly". However, the overall structure is disrupted by the incomplete ending and abrupt termination of the text. Paragraphing is attempted, but the logical progression from the coastal origin to the inland rain-shadow desert is left incomplete. Cohesive devices are used mechanically rather than flexibly, and referencing breaks down as the writing trails off.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student attempts some subject-specific vocabulary related to the diagram, such as "moisture-laden", "precipitation", "summit", and "parched". However, there are notable word-form and spelling errors throughout the text, including "formed, known" instead of "known as", "approch" instead of "approach", "mositure" instead of "moisture", "access water" instead of "excess water", and "desends" instead of "descends". The range of vocabulary is adequate for a basic description, but inaccuracies restrict the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text contains a mix of simple and attempted complex structures, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent errors in syntax and word forms, such as "the process in which a type of desert formed" (awkward passive/relative clause construction) and "culminating in the dry winds reach inland areas" (faulty parallel structure). The most significant issue is that the final sentence is incomplete ("The winds desends to the"), which heavily impacts grammatical completeness and coherence at sentence level.

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.