Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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 diagram illustrates the how one type of desert known as a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, it is clear that the formation of rain-shadow deserts consists seven steps. The steps start winds approach coast end at dry winds reach inland. In contrast, rain-shadow desert include muntains and sea.

The process start sea and top of mountains. First process is winds approach coast, in the second steps winds pushed upwards. The third step is moist air rises and cools at the windward side. In the fourth step the formation of rain-shadow deserts become clouds form.

Regarding, In the fifth steps start rain falls at the leeward side. The sixth process is dry air continues over mountain. In the final step which is seventh the formation of rain shadow deserts are dry winds reach inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the subject and give a basic sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland. However, the account is incomplete and includes a key positional error: rain falls on the windward side, not the leeward side, and the desert is inland beyond the leeward side rather than including the mountains and sea. The overview that there are seven steps is useful, but the statement that the process starts at the “sea and top of mountains” is unclear. Several stages are merely repeated from the labels, with little explanation of how moisture loss creates the desert. The response is also 124 words, below the 150-word minimum; 13 words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count. Add a clearer overview and accurately explain the windward-to-leeward transition.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable sequence, and words such as “First,” “In the fourth step,” and “In the final step” help the reader follow the stages. The paragraphing also separates the overview from some process details. However, progression is weakened by awkward or inaccurate links, including “Regarding, In the fifth steps,” and by repeating “step” and “process” rather than connecting the stages through cause and effect. The sentence “The process start sea and top of mountains” does not clearly relate to the sequence. Group the stages into a logical account—coastal winds, uplift and rainfall, then dry air inland—and use transitions that show these relationships. This would make the organisation clearer and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” and “dry winds,” so the reader can recognise the main subject and stages. However, the range is narrow and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, such as “the formation of rain-shadow deserts become clouds form.” Some word forms and spellings also reduce accuracy, notably “muntains” and “rain shadow deserts” without consistent hyphenation. Aim for precise process language and natural collocations rather than repeating the diagram labels. For example, describe air as “rising over the mountain range” and moisture as being “released as precipitation.” These choices would make the explanation more fluent and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a few longer structures, including “The sixth process is…” and “In the final step which is seventh…,” but most sentences follow a simple, repetitive pattern. Frequent errors affect sentence formation and agreement: “the formation … consists seven steps” needs “consists of seven steps,” while “The process start” and “rain-shadow desert include” have incorrect verb forms. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent, as in “in the second steps” and “at sea.” Punctuation and sentence boundaries need attention, particularly in “Regarding, In the fifth steps start rain falls…”. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement, articles, and prepositions before submitting.

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

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