Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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)

In this Diagram its shown from whic process rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall,the dry winds travel thousands of kilometers over mountains to reach Rain-shadow desert through several processes of moist air,rain and the then dry air reaches inland areas.

Firstly the wind flew over sea and it become densed air because it absorbs water particals from sea.Due to at high altitude it cools so that the clouds are formed.After all that it starts raining.

After the rain dry air falls in declined way of the mountain and reaches the inland areas which is known as Rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process and give its broad direction: winds move from the sea, rain falls near the mountains, and dry air reaches the inland desert. However, the account only partially covers the diagram, and several key stages are unclear or inaccurate. For example, the diagram shows winds being pushed upwards, moist air rising and cooling, and then clouds forming; your description instead says the wind “become densed air” by absorbing water from the sea. The overview also does not clearly explain the contrast between the wet windward side and dry leeward side. The response is 97 words, below the required 150, which limits how fully you can report the stages. Include each main stage and clarify the mountain’s role.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, signalled by “Overall” and “Firstly,” and the reader can follow the general movement from the sea towards the inland desert. However, the progression is not consistently clear: “After all that” is vague, and the final sentence combines the descent of dry air with its arrival inland without explaining the transition. The short paragraphing also gives little separation between the overview and the detailed stages. Organise the report into a clear overview followed by a step-by-step account, using precise links such as “As a result” and “Once the air crosses the mountain.” This would make the relationships between stages easier to follow without relying on vague connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “clouds,” “raining,” “mountain,” “inland areas,” and “Rain-shadow desert,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or forms are inaccurate enough to make parts of the process difficult to understand. “Densed air” does not clearly express the diagram’s moist air, while “declined way” is not a natural description of air moving down the leeward slope. There are also spelling errors such as “particals” and “kilometers.” Build a more precise set of terms for the stages—such as “moist air,” “rises,” “cools,” “precipitation,” and “leeward”—and check spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and a longer cause-and-effect construction, for example, “Due to at high altitude it cools so that the clouds are formed.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently, sometimes making the intended relationships unclear. Examples include “its shown from whic process,” “the wind flew,” and “it become,” where sentence formation, verb form, and agreement are not controlled. The sentence beginning “Due to” is also structurally incomplete, and punctuation is inconsistent, as in “Overall,the.” Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes and use clear clauses: “As the moist air rises, it cools and clouds form.” Check articles, verb endings, and sentence boundaries.

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