Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24

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 process that how rain-shadow desert is formed. There are seven different stages of rain-shadow desert. Distance covered from thousand of kilometers.

From first to third stage, tells about the movement of wind that how do it reaches upward. Winds approach coast from sea move towards mountain side at windward side. Then winds pushed upwards and air starts to moist. As it moves upward moisture increases and starts coolong down.

At fourth step cloud formation takes place as the moisture increased then rainfall occurs at windware side on one side of mountain, now clouds reaches its peak and rain now starts to move downward towards the inland. So in next step six, dry air continues over the mountain starts to move downward at leeward side and finally it then reaches inland areas.

Overall, the formation of rain- shadow deserts takes place in seven stages on which rain can be seen at windward side of mountain and dry air can be seen on other side of mountain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student addresses the task by describing the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, from the approach of coastal winds to the dry inland areas. An overview is provided at the end, summarizing the seven stages and contrasting the wet windward side with the dry leeward side. However, the description contains inaccuracies and awkward phrasing regarding the physical processes, such as stating that 'air starts to moist' instead of cooling and condensing, and the breakdown of stages is somewhat disjointed. While the main features are reported, the development of ideas is limited by these expressive flaws, placing this response at Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is organized into introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs, establishing a basic structure. Progression is attempted using sequential signposts like 'From first to third stage', 'At fourth step', and 'So in next step six'. However, cohesive devices are often mechanical, repetitive, or grammatically awkward ('From first to third stage, tells about...', 'So in next step six'). Paragraphing is present, but the overall arrangement lacks smooth flow and referencing is occasionally unclear. This demonstrates the characteristics of Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for a basic description of the diagram, featuring relevant terms such as 'coast', 'moisture', 'rainfall', and 'inland areas'. However, the range is limited and there are frequent word choice and collocation errors, such as 'starts coolong down', 'moisture increased', and 'rain now starts to move downward' instead of describing cloud precipitation and air descent. Spelling contains a minor slip ('coolong'). These lexical inadequacies align with a Band 5.0 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and faulty attempts at complex clauses. There are numerous grammatical errors throughout, including severe subordination and relative clause slips (e.g., 'The diagram illustrates the process that how rain-shadow desert is formed', 'tells about the movement of wind that how do it reaches upward', 'on which rain can be seen'). Punctuation and verb agreement are also problematic. These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader and reflect a Band 4.5 performance, rounded to 5.0.

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