Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30
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 given figure illustrates the formation of rain-shadow deserts. This is a phenomenon that covers seven steps to make rain-shadow deserts. At early stages the water at the sea level rose up and then winds pushed that water upwards. Then the moist air rises and cools down after some reactions. Then it results in the formation of clouds. As the clouds form then the rain falls on the top of mountains. The water on the mountains cannot stay and it moved from mountains. Then the dry air continues over mountains and the water went towards the leeward side. At the last stage the dry winds reah inland areas, where the inland areas caused the rain-shadow deserts. This is a complete cycle that starts with the initial stage of sea level then moving from different stages it results in the formation of rain-shadow deserts. There are thousads of kilometers mountains from the inland area to sea level.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the diagram illustrating the formation of rain-shadow deserts, covering the sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, there are significant misinterpretations of the process; for instance, the text claims that 'water at the sea level rose up' and that 'the water on the mountains cannot stay and it moved from mountains,' which misrepresents the movement of moist air and precipitation. While the main stages are listed, the response lacks a clear, cohesive overview and struggles to accurately report the core mechanical features of the cycle. Therefore, it meets the basic requirements of addressing the task, but the inaccuracies in describing the scientific process limit its effectiveness.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response shows some logical organisation by following the chronological steps of the diagram from left to right. However, the progression is disjointed due to an over-reliance on repetitive transition words, particularly 'Then' used at the beginning of multiple consecutive sentences (e.g., 'Then winds pushed...', 'Then the moist air...', 'Then it results...'). Paragraphing is poorly handled, as the entire response is clumped into two overly dense blocks without a clear introduction, body, and conclusion structure. Reference words are also occasionally vague, making the flow somewhat mechanical rather than naturally cohesive.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for basic description, incorporating terms such as 'phenomenon', 'moist air', 'leeward side', and 'inland areas'. However, the range is quite limited, and there are noticeable word choice errors and typos, such as 'reah' instead of 'reach' and 'thousads' instead of 'thousands'. The student struggles to integrate less common lexical items accurately, often falling back on repetitive, simple phrasing to describe the stages of the diagram. While meaning is mostly communicated, the lexical limitations and spelling errors restrict the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several awkward constructions and grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'the water at the sea level rose up' (tense inconsistency and factual inaccuracy regarding the process) and 'where the inland areas caused the rain-shadow deserts'. Punctuation is basic, and although sentences are generally understandable, errors in verb tenses, prepositions, and clause integration occur frequently enough to cause occasional difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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