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 diagram illustrates the procedure of rain-shadow desert and gives the understanding of how its formed.

Overall, the rain shasow dersert is Thausands of kilometers including the formation which has 7 steps, starting from a mountain which includes four areas, Coast, Windward side, Leeward side and Inland area. the 1st step is started from Sea and ending at Inland.

The 1st step is that the wind approaches the Coast, pushing upwards to moist air which rises and cools. Clouds are then formed.

Once the cloud forms, rain starts and the dry air continues over mountain by Leeward side and going down to Inland where dry winds reach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the process and include several key stages, such as winds approaching the coast, air rising and cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry air moving inland. However, the account is incomplete and some details are inaccurate or unclear: the overview says the desert is “Thousands of kilometers,” although this label indicates the diagram’s horizontal scale, not the desert’s size. The description also does not clearly explain that the mountains force the moist air upwards, or that the rain falls on the windward side before dry air crosses to the leeward side. The response is also 43 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail you can provide. Develop a fuller, accurate overview and describe the stages in sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, with an overview followed by descriptions of the early and later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Overall,” “The 1st step,” and “Once” help the reader follow the process. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview mixes the number of stages with the locations, and the first body paragraph compresses several stages into one sentence. The final sentence also joins the rainfall, movement over the mountain, and arrival inland without clearly marking each transition. Use separate, logically ordered sentences for the stages and refer to the windward and leeward sides consistently. This would make the organisation clearer and reduce the impression of a list of loosely connected details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “approaches,” “rises and cools,” “clouds,” and “dry air,” so the reader can recognise the topic. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the description less precise: “rain shasow dersert” and “Thausands” are misspelled, while “the procedure of rain-shadow desert” is an unnatural way to describe the diagram. “The 1st step is started” is also an awkward phrase. Use accurate labels from the diagram, such as “rain-shadow desert,” “windward side,” and “leeward side,” and choose process language such as “is formed” or “moves across the mountain.” Proofreading spelling would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, for example, “Clouds are then formed” and “Once the cloud forms, rain starts and the dry air continues…”. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. In “how its formed,” the verb phrase needs the auxiliary “is”; “the 1st step is started” uses an incorrect passive construction; and “pushing upwards to moist air” does not form a clear grammatical relationship between the wind and the air. The overview also shifts into a fragment-like sequence after “Inland area.” Practise accurate clauses with clear subjects and verbs, such as “The mountains force the moist air upwards, where it cools and forms clouds.”

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