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)

The diagram demonstrates how rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, formation of desert consists seven steps it began as the winds approach coast towards upward direction, and ends with dry winds reach inland areas. the process continued in the middle of the mountains and it includes weather conditions, rain falls and winds throughout the process.

To begin with, inside the mountains thousands of kilometers far the sea connected with coast inside on the one edge of the mountain. the process begins above the sea winds approach coast pushed upwards during which moist air arises and cools temperature. In the 4th step clouds are formed and heavy rain falls begin which will directly going slope

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the process and give a basic overview, noting that it starts when winds approach the coast and ends when dry winds reach inland areas. However, the account is incomplete: it stops during the description of rainfall and does not explain that dry air crosses the mountain and reaches inland, where the rain-shadow desert forms. Some details are also unclear or inaccurate, such as “inside the mountains thousands of kilometers far the sea,” which does not clearly report the diagram’s layout or scale. The response is 37 words below the required minimum, and this contributes to the limited coverage. To improve, describe the full sequence and clearly locate the sea, windward and leeward sides, and desert in a concise overview and body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introduction is followed by an overview and a paragraph beginning “To begin with.” Sequencing phrases such as “Overall,” “To begin with,” and “In the 4th step” help signal the process. However, progression is difficult to follow because the final paragraph combines several stages in a long, unclear sentence and ends abruptly at “which will directly going slope.” The overview also repeats the start and end points without clearly separating the main stages. Use one paragraph for the overview and another to describe the stages in order, with clear links such as “As a result” and “After crossing the mountain.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” and “inland areas,” so the topic is generally recognisable. There is also an attempt to use more specific language such as “rain-shadow desert.” However, several word choices and combinations are inaccurate or awkward, including “winds approach coast towards upward direction,” “arises and cools temperature,” and “heavy rain falls begin.” These reduce precision, particularly when describing the movement of air and the formation of precipitation. Aim for accurate process collocations and use the diagram’s labels where appropriate, for example “winds are forced upwards,” “moist air rises and cools,” and “rain falls on the windward side.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentences, including a sequence joined with “during which,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in agreement and sentence construction appear in “formation of desert consists seven steps” and “the process begins … winds approach coast pushed upwards.” Tense and verb-form problems occur in “the process continued” and “which will directly going slope.” Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in the lowercase “the” after a full stop and the unfinished final sentence. These errors sometimes make the relationships between stages difficult to understand. Practise complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, and check articles, agreement, and punctuation when editing.

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