Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Rain-shadow desert is most likly thousand of kilometers long. In the diagram below the step by step process are shown how a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

From the diagram we can say that firstly, the wind apporoch the coast above the sea level than the winds pushed upwards. From te force of wind the moist air rises and cools in the air. This is how the clouds are formed. Rain falls after the clouds were formed. This can be showen in windward side.

For the leeward side dry air continiues to go over the mountain. Lastly, dry winds reach inland areas and this is how the rain-shadow desert are formed. rain-shadow deseert contains thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and correctly mention cloud formation and rain on the windward side. However, the account is brief and only partially develops the process: it does not clearly explain that moist air rises over the mountains, cools, and loses moisture as rain before the remaining dry air crosses the leeward side. The statement that the desert is “thousand of kilometers long” misreads the diagram: the scale says “Thousands of kilometres,” not that the desert itself has that length. The response is also 34 words below the 150-word minimum, with 17 prompt words excluded from the count. Add a fuller overview and accurate detail about the stages and locations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the basic order of the diagram, and the paragraph beginning “For the leeward side” signals a move to the later stages. This gives the reader some sense of progression. However, the organisation is limited: the opening repeats the task wording, and the process is compressed into two paragraphs without a clear overview separating the main pattern from the details. Linking phrases such as “firstly,” “after,” and “Lastly” are used, but the connections are sometimes awkward or repetitive, and “This is how the clouds are formed” does not smoothly connect the preceding explanation. Group the stages into a clear introduction/overview and a logically sequenced description, using precise links such as “as a result” and “subsequently.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “inland areas,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the account less clear, for example “likly,” “apporoch,” “continiues,” and “deseert.” Some phrases are also imprecise: “above the sea level” is not needed to describe the winds’ route, while “the desert are formed” does not accurately express the process. The phrase “contains thousands of kilometers” is especially unclear because the diagram’s scale refers to distance, not the desert’s stated size. Build accuracy with standard process collocations and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple and linked sentences, such as “Rain falls after the clouds were formed,” and the overall sequence can usually be followed. However, the range is narrow, and errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and verb forms occur frequently. For example, “the step by step process are shown” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the rain-shadow desert are formed” also mismatches singular and plural. “Rain falls after the clouds were formed” shifts awkwardly between present and past tense; use the present simple consistently for a process. Punctuation is also inconsistent, including the comma in “a rain-shadow desert, is formed” and the lowercase sentence opening “rain-shadow.” Practise accurate present-simple clauses and check each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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

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