Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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 illustrates a type of desert formation, which is called the rain-shadow desert.

Overall, The wind starts to push upwards due to mountains from the windward side and rises moist air and forms clouds when it got cooled. The rain clouds then falls, but dry air that continued over mountains absorbs rain, which results in rain shadow desert.

As shown in the diagram, The wind first approaches to the sea coast then it is pushed upwards due to mountains presence from the windward side. The available moister in the air cools down and form cloulds. These clouds formation then results in heavy rain over mountains. This mountain region spreads over thousands of kilometer in area.

Their is a dry air over mountains. This dyr air then mixed with the falling water of rain and form such pattern that, this wind when moves in the inland creates the rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, but it addresses the task only partially. While the overview attempts to summarise the main stages, it contains inaccuracies, such as stating that dry air 'absorbs rain', which misinterprets the physical process. Key features like the leeward side and inland progression are only partially or confusingly explained. The ideas are limited and under-developed, lacking a fully clear and accurate recounting of the sequential stages from wind approach to desert creation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation, with an introductory sentence and multiple paragraphs, but the response lacks a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas is disjointed, particularly in the final two paragraphs where the explanation of dry air and wind movement becomes tangled. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inaccurately, such as the awkward transitional phrase 'Their is a dry air over mountains' and repetitive use of basic connectors, making the logical flow difficult to follow at times.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. There are noticeable lexical errors, such as 'moister' instead of moisture, 'cloulds' for clouds, and 'dyr' for dry, which stem from spelling slips and word-form issues. Attempted collocations and word choices, such as 'mountains presence' and 'absorbs rain', cause some difficulty for the reader and impede precise communication. To improve, the writer needs to expand their range of scientific and descriptive terms and ensure accurate spelling and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer uses a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic complex forms that frequently contain errors. There are frequent grammatical errors involving articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'The wind first approaches to the sea coast', 'due to mountains presence', and 'Their is a dry air'. Attempts at complex structures are often faulty, and these frequent errors can cause difficulty and strain for the reader throughout the text.

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