Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 illustrates the formation of rain shadow desert.

This type of desert is build up by following 7 steps. At the sea level winds approach the coast side and moving at it forward in ascending direction direction. After reaching upward air captures the moisture and lower its temperature and clouds established. When rain falls occure over the mountains, dry air continues to move towrds the leeward side and reaches to inland where the sand and wind collied and build rain shadow desert.

The procedure of creation of rain-shadow deseret involves travelling of thousnads of Kilometers of wind from sea side towards the land side by covering windward side, mounatins, leeward side and inland.

It might be seems simple but it invloves complex natural process and natural phenomenon occurs on there own pace.

Therefore, its formation is quite lengthy and dependant on nature it cxan be made from synthetic ways.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task partially, attempting to outline the main steps of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram. However, the explanation is incomplete and fails to fully report all key stages in a logical sequence. While the writer mentions the winds approaching the coast and the subsequent moisture capture and rainfall, key details regarding the leeward side and the rain-shadow desert itself are underdeveloped. Furthermore, the final paragraph contains speculative commentary and irrelevant points about synthetic creation, which falls outside the scope of factual data reporting required for Academic Task 1. To reach a higher level, the response must cover all seven labeled stages accurately without introducing personal opinions or external assumptions, ensuring a fully balanced overview of the visual information.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response shows some organization with a basic introduction and body paragraphs, but there is no clear overall progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used minimally and sometimes inappropriately, such as the abrupt transition in 'Therefore, its formation is quite lengthy...' Referencing is also faulty in places, making the logical link between sentences weak. Paragraphing is attempted, but ideas are grouped somewhat haphazardly, dividing the process awkwardly across short blocks. To improve coherence and cohesion, the text needs a smoother logical flow, clearer linking words to connect the sequential steps of the diagram, and a more structured paragraph layout that clearly separates the description of the natural process from any introductory summary.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'ascending direction' and 'natural phenomenon', but there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, including 'build up' instead of 'built up', 'rain falls occure', and 'wind collied'. Spelling errors also occur, such as 'towrds', 'deseret', 'thousnads', 'invloves', and 'dependant'. These errors sometimes cause difficulty for the reader and detract from the clarity of the report. To achieve a higher band, the vocabulary range needs to be wider and more precise, with accurate spelling and correct word forms that reflect scientific or geographical processes appropriately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent errors when attempting more complex forms. There are numerous grammatical inaccuracies throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'natural phenomenon occurs on there own pace', missing articles ('at the sea level', 'in ascending direction'), and incorrect prepositions ('moving at it forward', 'reaches to inland'). Punctuation is also basic and occasionally flawed. These frequent errors cause strain for the reader. To move up to a higher level, the student needs to demonstrate better control over complex sentence patterns, improve verb tense consistency, and eliminate basic grammatical and prepositional mistakes.

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