Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-07

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)

This is process given. The diagram detailes given how one type of desert, known as a rain shadow desert, is formed.

overall, it is process for rain shadow. It is how to made a rain shadow desert.Here, 7 stage for the process.

Firstly, sea was winds approach to coast. coast was pushed winds upwards than mosit air rises and cools doing. It was up in the sky and cools and rises doing in sky. rises and cools done then winds were made clouds form. That clouds form given a rain. That clouds were uper high in the sky. Clouds form were creted rain falls. Rain falls were down on mountains. Rain falls were done then dry air continues over mountain in leeward side. Leeward side was dry air doing then Dry winds were creted also dry winds reach inland areas. Inland areas were dry winds last step for this process. lastly, dry winds coverd in inland for rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the subject and attempt to describe the sequence, including the key stages of rain falling on the mountains and dry winds reaching inland. However, the account is only partially developed: it does not clearly explain the central cause-and-effect pattern, namely that moist air rises on the windward side, cools and forms clouds, then loses moisture as rain before dry air crosses the mountains to the leeward side. The overview, “Here, 7 stage for the process,” merely counts stages rather than summarising the overall transformation. Some details are repeated or unclear, and the response is 147 words, three words below the required minimum; the 13 words copied from the prompt are excluded. To improve, give a concise overview and explain each stage accurately and clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to follow the diagram’s sequence, using “Firstly” and “lastly,” and the reader can recognise that the process moves from the sea towards inland areas. However, the response has no clear paragraphing and progression is weakened by repeated, confusing statements, such as “It was up in the sky and cools and rises doing in sky” and the repeated descriptions of cloud formation and rainfall. Linking words are limited and sometimes do not show the relationship between stages clearly. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and a chronological description. Use clear links such as “as a result,” “after this,” and “once the air crosses the mountain” to show cause and sequence without repeating information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “coast,” “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” “leeward side,” and “inland areas,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the description difficult to understand: “sea was winds approach,” “dry air doing,” and “dry winds were creted.” Spelling errors such as “detailes,” “mosit,” “uper,” and “coverd” also reduce clarity. Aim to use accurate process verbs and established geographical terms, rather than repeating “doing” or “were created.” For example, describe air as “rising,” “cooling,” “losing moisture,” and “descending,” and refer consistently to the “rain-shadow desert.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

Sentence structures are very limited, and frequent errors in verb forms, word order, articles, and sentence boundaries sometimes distort the meaning. For example, “sea was winds approach to coast” does not form a clear grammatical clause, while “Here, 7 stage for the process” lacks a verb and uses an incorrect singular noun. The repeated pattern “Rain falls were done then…” also shows difficulty forming accurate past or present-tense descriptions. Use the present simple for a process diagram and build complete clauses, for example: “Moist air rises over the mountains and cools, causing clouds to form.” Practise joining stages with accurate conjunctions while keeping each sentence straightforward; this will make the sequence easier to follow.

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

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