Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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 how a desert is formed as a shadow of desert.

Overall, the diagram consists of seven main stages, it is a natural linear proxess. The process work on a mountains start with wind approach coast and ends with dry winds reach inland areas.

Initially, the first step is winds are approached coast over the sea area. Second step is, winds are pushed upwards to mountain. Next, moist air are rose and cool at a windward side. Fourt stage is clouds are formed. Next step is the rain is fallen on mountains.

Subsequantly, the six step is starts opposite side of mountain,when dry air is countined over mountain at leeward side. finally, at the end stage is dry winds are reached inland areas. Then it is showed rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the diagram as a seven-stage natural process and cover its main sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas where the rain-shadow desert forms. However, the account is brief and the overview is not fully clear: “a desert is formed as a shadow of desert” does not accurately explain the process, and the key contrast between rain on the windward side and dry conditions beyond the leeward side is only partly conveyed. The response also falls 19 words short of the required 150, limiting the detail you can provide. To strengthen the summary, explain how moist air rises and cools, causing clouds and rain, before dry air crosses the mountains and reaches inland areas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, an overview and a chronological account of the stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Next,” “Subsequently” and “finally” help the reader follow the process. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical, and several transitions are awkward or unclear, for example “Second step is,” and “the six step is starts opposite side of mountain.” The overview also combines two ideas in a comma splice: “the diagram consists of seven main stages, it is a natural linear process.” Use complete sentences and group related stages into a smoother paragraph. Clearer links between rainfall on the windward side and dry air on the leeward side would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “dry winds” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning less clear. For instance, “shadow of desert” is not a suitable description, while “proxess” and “Subsequantly” are misspelled. Phrases such as “rain is fallen” and “winds are approached coast” also show difficulty selecting natural process language. Build a more precise set of verbs for describing stages, such as “rise,” “cool,” “form,” “fall” and “continue,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both an overview and a sequence of stages, but the response relies mainly on simple sentence patterns, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “The process work on a mountains,” “moist air are rose and cool,” and “the six step is starts,” where agreement, verb forms and sentence construction are not controlled. The opening overview also contains a comma splice, and punctuation is inconsistent in “mountain,when.” Practise describing processes with accurate present-simple forms, for example, “Moist air rises and cools,” and “Rain falls on the windward side.” Then connect stages with a few correctly formed clauses rather than using fragments or repeated “step is” constructions.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.