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 shows the picture of a rain shadow desert. The sea has spread to thousands of kilometers and the sea water is giving terrifying look with giant .So the main topic is how the rain formed.lets talk about the first step where the wind blows hard and reach to the coast and at the coast the wind pushed upwards towards the sky to moist the air and cools the temperature to make the weather pleasant.In the next step the clouds forms and the rain starts to fall but during this time the dry air continues to blow over the mountains . Thats exactly how dry winds approach the inland areas. We can see the formation of rain shadow desert in inland in the diagram.The wind started from the coast and move upward to windward side,then it reached to leeward side and finally reached the inland.So this was the simple explanation of the diagram.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main subject and describe several stages in the correct order: winds approach the coast, rise over the mountains, clouds form, rain falls, and dry air continues inland. This gives the reader a basic account of the process. However, the task is only partly covered because there is no clear overview of the key cause-and-effect pattern: moist air loses its moisture on the windward side, leaving dry air to descend or continue across the leeward side and create a desert inland. The claim that the sea “has spread to thousands of kilometers” misreads the scale marker, which indicates distance across the diagram, not the sea’s size. Some details, such as the wind blowing “hard” and the weather becoming “pleasant,” are unsupported. Focus on the stages and their relationship rather than adding impressions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows the diagram’s broad sequence, using phrases such as “In the next step” and “finally reached the inland,” so the reader can recognise the process. However, the organisation is weakened by the lack of a distinct overview and by presenting the stages in one long paragraph. The opening comments about the sea and its appearance interrupt the explanation, while the final sentences repeat the route from coast to inland rather than adding a clear concluding point. Linking is also limited and sometimes mechanical, with repeated “and” and step-by-step transitions. Group the description into an introduction and overview, followed by a concise account of the windward and leeward stages, and use references such as “as a result” to clarify cause and effect.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “coast,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “clouds,” and “dry winds,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or informal for an academic process description. “Terrifying look” is an unsupported impression, “moist the air” does not clearly describe what happens, and “simple explanation” is conversational. Repetition of “wind,” “coast,” and “inland” also limits precision. Aim for accurate terms that describe the process, such as moisture, precipitation, and rain-shadow formation, and avoid evaluative language that is not shown in the diagram. More precise collocations would make the explanation clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect stages in longer sentences, for example, “In the next step the clouds forms and the rain starts to fall but during this time the dry air continues to blow over the mountains.” However, the response relies heavily on simple clauses joined together, and errors are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward. Examples include “the clouds forms” (subject–verb agreement), “the wind … reach” and “the wind … move” (verb forms), and “the rain formed” (tense choice for a general process). Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, particularly around full stops and commas. Practise using present simple consistently for process descriptions, checking agreement, and separating stages into clear sentences. A few accurate complex sentences showing cause and result would improve control.

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