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)

This layout depicts the formation of kind of desrt , known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Having a quick glance, it has been claerly seen that in first and foremost stage winds appoarch the coast from the bottom of the sar then , this winds pushed upwards on the mountains. Moreover in the third stage , air moist rises and then cools towards the windward side.

Rolling towards , rest of the details abot the formation of rain- shadow deserts in the fourth stage clouds are formed after the moisting and cooling of air.Afterward,the rain falls and dry air continues over the mountain from the leeward side in the seventh stage , the dry winds reac inland areas and a formed a rain-shadow deserts .

Overall, is the admitted that each and every step is equally important for the formation of rain-shadow deserts if one stage missed then the whole procedure would be hampered.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the process as the formation of a rain-shadow desert and report several central stages, including winds approaching the coast, air rising and cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry winds moving inland. However, the sequence is not always clear: the dry air crossing the mountain and the final inland stage are compressed together, and the overview focuses on every stage being important rather than summarising the overall movement from moist coastal air to a dry inland area. The claim that winds come from the “bottom of the sar” is not supported by the diagram. The response is also 148 words, below the required 150; the eight words copied from the prompt are excluded from this count. Add a concise, accurate overview and clarify the later stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into paragraphs and generally follows the process from the coast towards the inland desert. Sequencing expressions such as “in the third stage,” “in the fourth stage,” and “Afterward” help the reader recognise the order. However, progression becomes difficult to follow when the fifth, sixth, and seventh stages are combined in one long sentence, and “in the seventh stage” is placed beside the description of dry air crossing the mountain. Some linking phrases, including “Having a quick glance” and “Rolling towards,” feel mechanical or do not clearly connect the ideas. Organise the stages in a more direct sequence, using one sentence for each key transition and clearer references to the windward and leeward sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist,” “cools,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps convey the topic. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make parts of the description harder to understand, such as “desrt,” “claerly,” “appoarch,” and “reac.” Phrases such as “the moisting and cooling of air” and “a formed a rain-shadow deserts” are also not natural or precise. Aim to use accurate process verbs and standard collocations, for example, “moist air rises,” “condenses,” and “dry air descends.” Proofreading spelling and choosing precise terms for each stage would make the description clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt some complex sentences and use present-tense forms to describe the process, but grammatical control is inconsistent. The opening, “This layout depicts the formation of kind of desert … is formed,” contains a broken structure, while “this winds pushed upwards” has problems with agreement and tense. Articles and plurals are also unreliable in phrases such as “a rain-shadow deserts,” and the final sentence, “Overall, is the admitted that…,” lacks a clear grammatical subject and construction. Punctuation and spacing around commas are inconsistent, and some sentences run together. Use straightforward present-tense sentences first, checking subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries before adding more complex clauses.

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

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