Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28

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 shows the formation of the rain-shadow desert. The figure shows the process of formation of clouds, rain falls, formation of dry clouds over mountains and turning into the hot air.

The process is described as, In the first process, when the winds approaches the coast, the atmosphere of the land pushes the winds upwards.In the second process, when the winds are pushed upward, moist air slowly rises and cools down forming clouds. In the third step where moist air rises and cools down, clouds are formed. After the formation of the clouds in the fourth process, rain fall occurs. In the fifth step when rain falls in the top of the mountain, the dry air continues over mountain slowly falling to the Leeward side in the sixth process. During the last process of continuesly movement, the air converts into dry while raching the area of inland forming rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to describe the formation of a rain-shadow desert, covering the general sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, the response lacks a clear, comprehensive overview of the entire process, which is essential for Band 6 and above. Furthermore, there are some inaccuracies in describing the steps, such as mentioning 'formation of dry clouds over mountains' which is not supported by the diagram. Ideas are somewhat repetitive and under-developed, resulting in a score that aligns with Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is organized into two brief paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by repetitive mechanical phrasing like 'In the first process', 'In the second process', and 'In the third step'. Cohesive devices are used excessively and sometimes awkwardly rather than flexibly. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting between 'winds', 'air', and 'clouds' without smooth transitions. Paragraphing is weak, with the entire detailed process crammed into a single block of text following the introduction, leading to a Band 5 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is quite basic and repetitive, relying heavily on words directly copied from the prompt or simple terms like 'process', 'winds', 'mountains', and 'air'. There are noticeable word choice and spelling errors, such as 'continuesly' instead of 'continually' or 'continuously', and 'raching' instead of 'reaching'. While the language is minimally adequate to convey the general idea, the restricted range and persistent errors place it firmly at Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response contains a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on repetitive conditional or temporal clauses ('when the winds approaches...'). There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('when the winds approaches'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('the atmosphere of the land pushes the winds upwards'). Complex structures are attempted but are frequently faulty. Errors cause some strain for the reader, fitting the Band 5 descriptor.

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

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