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 shows that how rain-shadow desert is produce. The diagrams show full procedure of rain shadow desert formation step by step in detail.

The formation of rain-shadow desert occur through winds moving upward and air droplet rises and cool, form a cloud. After cloud formation, Rain falls on the mountains and then to inland areas of desert.

In the diagram as we can see that the process starts from sea where winds reaches to coast. After approching to coast, winds starts moving upward with mountains and air droplets starts rises and cools down to form a clouds. As clouds form, they are converted into rain which is falls on the mountains. Air which is dry continues to moves over the mountains. Through mountains, they starts reaches to inland areas which is lead to thr formation of Rain-shadow desert.

As we can see that the coast is thousand of kilometers away from that inland but still responsible for the concersion of inland into the rain- shadow desert. Mountains play a important role in the formation of this rain- shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to outline the process of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, but it addresses the task only partially. While the student identifies some key stages such as winds approaching the coast, air cooling, cloud formation, and rain falling on the mountains, the description is quite limited and under-developed. Important aspects of the diagram, such as the leeward side of the mountains and the specific sequence of dry air descending, are not clearly explained. Furthermore, there are inaccuracies in reporting the visual details, such as stating that 'rain falls on the mountains and then to inland areas of desert', which misinterprets the rain-shadow effect where the inland area actually receives dry winds. To reach a higher level, all parts of the visual data should be reported more accurately and fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some basic organisation in the response, beginning with an introductory overview followed by body paragraphs detailing the stages and general features. However, there is no clear overall progression, and the flow of information feels repetitive, particularly in the third paragraph where the steps described earlier are reiterated with similar phrasing. Cohesive devices are used rather repetitively and mechanically, such as 'As we can see that' and 'After...'. Paragraphing is also somewhat awkward, with a very brief opening and a final concluding sentence separated into its own short paragraph. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the student needs to arrange ideas in a more logical sequence with smoother transitions between steps and better paragraph structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey a basic understanding of the process. The student attempts some less common terms related to the topic, such as 'formation', 'moist air', 'droplets', and 'inland areas', but these are often accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, form, and collocation. Examples include 'rain-shadow desert is produce' (should be 'produced'), 'concersion' (conversion), and 'play a important role'. There are also awkward phrasings like 'winds starts moving upward with mountains'. These errors and spelling slips sometimes cause difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher band, a wider range of vocabulary needs to be used with greater precision and fewer word-formation errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside some faulty attempts at complex clauses. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('air droplet rises and cool', 'winds reaches'), incorrect verb forms ('is falls on the mountains', 'is lead to'), missing articles ('in land of desert'), and unnecessary auxiliary verbs ('shows that how', 'is produce'). These frequent errors can cause difficulty and distraction for the reader. To progress to a higher band, the student should aim to use a wider variety of complex sentence forms with a much higher proportion of error-free sentences and better control over basic grammar.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.