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 demonstrates us how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

The formation of rain-shadow desert is shown in diagram. At first from the seasides, wind approched to the coastal area of mountain then these wind move in upward direction of mountains. The formation of moist and cool air took place, which lead to formation of clouds in sky. Dry air flows continues over the mountain which lead to formation rain droplets at the leeward side of mountain. Also, the dry wind flow and formed the rain-shadow desert on inland.

The process is very vast and air travels from thousand of kilometres away for formation of rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The student attempts to describe the stages of a rain-shadow desert formation, noting the progression from winds approaching the coast up to the creation of the desert inland. However, there are several inaccurate details regarding the sequence and science shown in the diagram, such as claiming that rain droplets form at the leeward side rather than the windward side. Furthermore, the response falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 113 words. This negative word count penalty restricts the overall task achievement score, as key comparisons and comprehensive reporting of all main features are underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into three brief paragraphs, attempting a rudimentary structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, logical progression is frequently disrupted by imprecise transitions and awkward sequencing. While basic cohesive devices such as 'At first' are used, referencing is sometimes unclear, and the paragraphing is underdeveloped due to the brevity of the response. Cohesion feels mechanical and lacks the fluid progression expected at higher band levels.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses a limited and repetitive vocabulary range, employing words such as 'formation', 'wind', and 'mountain' multiple times. There are noticeable word choice and spelling errors, such as 'approched' instead of 'approached' and 'seasides' instead of 'sea'. Attempts at less common lexical items, like 'rain-shadow desert', are lifted directly from the prompt. While the meaning is generally decipherable, the restricted range and persistent lexical errors prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences with frequent structural errors. Examples include 'The diagram demonstrates us how', which misuses the verb pattern, and 'wind approched... then these wind move', demonstrating poor subject-verb agreement and tense consistency. Errors in punctuation and phrasing are frequent, such as 'from thousand of kilometres away', causing some difficulty for the reader and limiting the structural complexity.

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

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