Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-11

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 illustrate natural ecosystem foor thousands of kilometers, which how the natural process of formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is clear that proccess consists of seven stages, beginning with winds approach coast, and ending with dry winds reach inland areas.

Initially, Winds approach coast over the sea, and move to next stage which winds pushed upwards the mountains, and countaince to be moist rises and cools, up arrival to catch cluld form close the top.

Turning to rain falls doown in the top of mountains and dry air countinues over mountanis to leeward side and the end dry wids reach inland area

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as having seven stages and give its broad direction, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. These are relevant features, and the response is focused on the diagram. However, the account is only partial: it does not clearly explain that moist air rises over the windward side, cools, forms clouds and produces rain before dry air crosses the mountains on the leeward side, creating the rain-shadow desert inland. The final desert outcome is not explicitly described, and several stages are difficult to understand. The response is also 46 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to report the main features fully. Develop the causal sequence and state the result clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening, an overview, and a description beginning with “Initially” and moving towards the inland area. The overview’s reference to seven stages gives the reader a useful framework. However, the progression becomes hard to follow in the final paragraph, where several stages are compressed into one long sentence and the transition “Turning to rain falls” does not clearly connect the events. The response also ends without a clear concluding stage or outcome. Use separate sentences to show each part of the sequence, and connect them with precise links such as “as a result” and “after crossing the mountains.” Clearer paragraphing and references would make the process easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “coast,” “moist,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” “dry air,” and “leeward side.” This shows an attempt to describe the diagram rather than rely entirely on general language. However, the range is limited, and frequent spelling errors—such as “proccess,” “countaince,” “cluld,” and “wids”—make several phrases difficult to interpret. Some word combinations are also unclear, for example “countaince to be moist rises” and “close the top.” Choose accurate terms for the stages and use natural collocations, such as “moist air rises,” “clouds form above the mountains,” and “rain falls on the windward side.” Proofreading spelling would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both a complex overview sentence and longer sentences describing the sequence, but control is weak and the range of accurate structures is limited. For example, “The diagram illustrate … which how” lacks correct subject–verb agreement and a complete clause, while “winds pushed upwards the mountains” has an unclear verb pattern. In “moist rises and cools,” the sentence structure does not clearly identify what is rising, and the final paragraph joins several stages without reliable punctuation. These errors often make the relationships between events difficult to understand. Build the description with accurate simple sentences first, then add controlled clauses using “when,” “as,” or “after.” Check agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries during revision.

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