Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 process diagram illustrates that how one type of desert, Known as a rain-shadow desert is created.

Overall, this whole process contained seven steps started from winds approached to the coast by sea, untill Dry winds reach inland areas.

The first step starts from the Windwaed side of the Mountain where the winds approached from coast, afterthat winds pushed upwards which is the second step, then Moist presented in the air rises and cools, then in the next step the clouds are formed and the next step is the presepetation falls at the top of the mountain.

The Leeward side where the dry air are continued over mountian and move towards the Inlands and Dry wind reached to the Inlands areas.

Overall, this whole process consested of Thousands of Kilometres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response meets the task only partially and falls short of the word count requirement, with the text containing 120 words compared to the 150-word minimum (excluding 12 copied words). While the student attempts to outline the process from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas, the coverage is limited and repetitive, with the final paragraph essentially restating the scale without adding new detail. The position and information are under-developed, and key features of the diagram, such as the rain-shadow desert itself, are not adequately explained or contextualised. To reach a higher band, the student must expand the response well beyond the minimum word count, fully describe all seven stages of the process in a logical manner, and provide a clear overview of how the geographic features interact to form the rain-shadow desert.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation in the response, but it lacks clear overall progression and logical flow. The text attempts to use sequencing words like 'The first step starts from', 'afterthat', and 'then', but these cohesive devices are mechanical, repetitive, and at times inaccurate. Paragraphing is fragmented and erratic, breaking the description into single-sentence blocks that do not effectively group related stages of the process together, such as grouping the windward side events separately from the leeward side. Pronoun referencing and overall transitions between sentences are weak, causing the information to feel disjointed. To improve, the student needs to use a wider range of cohesive devices naturally, group related information into cohesive paragraphs, and establish a clear, progressive narrative from the sea to the inland areas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, containing noticeable lexical errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. The student relies on basic, repetitive terms and direct lifts from the prompt, such as 'process diagram', 'rain-shadow desert', and 'Inland areas'. There are several word-choice, spelling, and word-formation errors throughout the text, including 'Windwaed' instead of windward, 'Moist' used as a noun instead of moisture, 'presepetation' instead of precipitation, and 'consested' instead of consisted. These errors indicate a restricted control of lexical features. To achieve a higher band, the student should incorporate a broader range of precise vocabulary suitable for describing scientific processes and geographical phenomena, ensuring accurate spelling and correct word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical range is very limited, relying primarily on simple sentence structures and faulty attempts at complex clauses. Frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and article usage appear throughout the text, such as in the opening sentence: 'The given process diagram illustrates that how one type of desert, Known as a rain-shadow desert is created', where the inclusion of 'that' is incorrect and capitalization is erratic. Other errors include subject-verb agreement issues ('the dry air are continued over mountian') and missing prepositions. These frequent mistakes can cause difficulty for the reader. To lift this criterion, the student must demonstrate a better control of basic sentence patterns, improve tense consistency when describing a continuous process, and eliminate recurrent punctuation and agreement errors.

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

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