Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23

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 chart shows the information that how rain-shodow deserts formed?

Overall, there are seven steps regarding to the winds, that how it's approach to coast and push upwards to the mountain, furthermore, air roses, formed clouds, then after rain fall it moves downwards to the Inland.

Mountains range is thousands of kilometers long from the sea. There are 7 steps regarding to the formation of rain-sadow deserts. First of all winds approaches to the coast, then it move upwards upto the mountains, there it cools, formed clouds through the Windward side, then, rainfall happens, furthermore, dry air after rainfall, moves down through the leeward side and finally it reaches to the Inland (Rain-shadow desert).

Rain-shadow deserts has dry air, that formed after several steps, dry air formed after the rain fall and rainfall needs moist air that comes from the sea.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the seven-step process of rain-shadow desert formation, capturing key stages such as winds approaching the coast, rising over mountains, cooling to form clouds, and precipitation occurring before dry air descends on the leeward side. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, containing only 141 words. This under-length impacts the overall development of the overview and details. Furthermore, there are some minor descriptive inaccuracies regarding the stages, and the overview is somewhat repetitive. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand on the spatial relationships and ensure the response exceeds the word count threshold while maintaining a clear and comprehensive summary of the main features.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay attempts to structure the information chronologically following the numbered diagram steps. However, the paragraphing is poor, resulting in a series of short, choppy paragraphs and isolated sentences that lack logical progression. Cohesive devices are used repetitively (e.g., 'furthermore', 'then'), and referencing is sometimes confusing or mechanical. The overall arrangement feels disjointed rather than forming a cohesive whole. To improve, the student should group related stages into well-developed paragraphs, use a wider variety of cohesive devices to link ideas smoothly, and ensure a clear, logical flow from the introduction to the conclusion without unnecessary repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with several spelling errors ('rain-shodow', 'rain-sadow', 'roses' instead of 'rises', 'upto'). While the student attempts some less common terms related to the process (e.g., 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'inland areas'), word choice is often imprecise or awkward, such as 'the chart shows the information that how...' and 'winds approach to the coast'. The range of vocabulary is limited to what is minimally adequate for the task. To reach a higher band, the student needs to incorporate a wider range of precise academic vocabulary and eliminate spelling mistakes through careful proofreading.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Grammatically, the response displays a limited range of structures, heavily relying on simple sentences or awkward complex structures that contain frequent errors. Examples of structural and grammatical errors include 'the chart shows the information that how rain-shodow deserts formed?', 'air roses, formed clouds', and 'rain-shadow deserts has dry air, that formed after several steps'. Subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and preposition usage are problematic throughout. While the meaning remains mostly discernible, the high frequency of grammatical errors prevents the response from achieving a higher band. The student needs to practice forming accurate complex sentences and check for basic errors in verb forms.

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

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