Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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 below shows the complete information about how a desert is known as rain desert.

Overall it shows how winds from the sea level began and convert into moist air and then causes rain falls all that procedure appened on a mountain that is thousands of kilometres long

In the first step how winds approch coast going upwards sea level and then this winds convert into moist air and cools following these moist air changed into clouds form after that rain falls happened all this procedure shows happenes on one side of the mountain.

Furthremore after that rain falls now dry air continues over mountain and in the last step that dry winds reach inland areas of inland and that process is happened on the other side of the mountain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, and importantly, it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, coming in at 131 words. While the student attempts to describe the formation of a rain-shadow desert, the overview and key features are limited and under-developed. For instance, the summary mentions winds and moist air but misses several key sequential stages from the diagram, such as the rain-shadow effect details on the leeward side and the thousands of kilometres scale. Ideas are presented mechanically without fully covering all parts of the visual data, resulting in an incomplete account of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response shows a coherent overall arrangement, attempting to follow the sequential stages of the diagram from left to right. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, relying on repetitive transitional phrases like 'after that' and 'in the second step'. Paragraphing is underutilised, as the text is clumped into dense blocks rather than separated into logical steps or a clear introduction and overview. Referencing is occasionally unclear, which disrupts the natural progression of ideas across the mountain's windward and leeward sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The lexical range is limited but minimally adequate for describing the basic process. The student makes noticeable errors in word choice and word formation, such as writing 'rain desert' instead of 'rain-shadow desert', 'approch' instead of 'approach', 'appened' instead of 'happened', and 'Furthremore' with spelling inaccuracies. These errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted vocabulary. To improve, the student needs to use more precise process-related terminology and ensure accurate spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response uses a very limited range of structures, relying mostly on run-on simple and attempted complex sentences that lack proper punctuation. There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles, incorrect verb forms ('winds began and convert'), and faulty prepositional patterns. For example, phrases like 'all that procedure appened on a mountain' and 'this winds convert into moist air' demonstrate poor grammatical control. These errors require the reader to decode the meaning, placing this performance below the threshold for higher bands.

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

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