Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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 given image shows the formation of rain shadow deserts. It expains the process of how the rain shadow deserts are formed. Firstly the winds approaches the coast , then the wind is pushed upwards by which the moist air rises and cools. The cloud is formed after the cooling of air. When the cloud becomes very heavy it releases some weight in the form of rain. The dry air cotinues to flow over the mountain. It then gradually reaches the leeward side and then the inland areas. The distance between the sea and the rain shadow desert is thousands of kilommetres. So , to make sure that the air is reached sufficiently till the dry land areas , this natural process happens. This process takes time as the wind is a natural process and it does not occur on a daily basis. It occurs mostly when the flow of wind is very heavy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry air reaching inland, and include the key contrast between the wet windward side and the inland rain-shadow area. However, the account only partially fulfils the diagram-summary task: it lacks a clear overview of the defining cause-and-effect pattern, and several added claims are unsupported. In particular, the diagram does not say that clouds release rain when they become “very heavy,” that the process is intended to carry air to dry areas, or that it occurs only when winds are very strong and not daily. Focus on the shown stages: moist air rises, cools and forms clouds, rain falls on the windward side, and the remaining dry air crosses the mountains to create arid conditions inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The stages are mostly presented in a sensible order, and sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “then” and “after” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is one continuous paragraph and does not establish a clear overview before describing the stages. The final sentences move from the diagram to speculation about how often the process happens, interrupting the progression and weakening the ending. Some links are also repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “then,” while “So” introduces an unsupported explanation rather than a relevant next stage. Organise the response into a brief overview followed by the sequence, and use links to show cause and result, such as “as a result” or “consequently,” only where the diagram supports them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “cools,” “leeward side” and “inland areas,” so the reader can understand the general subject. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or repetitive. “The cloud is formed” is less natural and specific than describing clouds forming, while “releases some weight in the form of rain” is an awkward way to express precipitation. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “expains,” “cotinues” and “kilommetres.” Use accurate terms from the diagram, such as “precipitation” and “dry air,” and check spelling carefully. Avoid repeating “process” when a more precise noun or verb can describe each stage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and linked sentences, for example, “The dry air cotinues to flow over the mountain” and the sentence connecting the wind’s upward movement with the rising, cooling air. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence construction and agreement occur often enough to make parts less clear. In “Firstly the winds approaches the coast,” the plural subject requires “approach”; “the wind is pushed upwards by which” is an awkward and faulty clause connection; and “to make sure that the air is reached” uses an incorrect passive construction. Punctuation spacing is also inconsistent, with spaces before commas in “coast ,” and “So ,”. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and use direct cause-and-effect clauses, such as “As the air rises, it cools.”

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