Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 shows how a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, there are seven main stages in this process.It starts when winds come from sea and approach the mountains.Finally,dry winds reach the inland areas,where a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Firstly, winds approach the coast of mountain. After that wind gets pushed upwards as hot air moves upwards and cooler air settles nears surface. Moist air rises and cools as it is on the way to top of the mountain, after that it gets converted into clouds. When cloud gets full with moist air then rainfall will happen. Due to air the dry air then continues to move over the mountain and then those winds reach indland areas. When this dry winds reach inland then it convert the land. The land is then called as Rain-shadow desert.

To core out, this is the summary of the information by selecting and reporting the main features of the diagram "The formation of rain-shadow deserts".

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process and give a basic overview, noting that it begins with winds approaching from the sea and ends with dry winds reaching inland, where a rain-shadow desert forms. You also report several central stages, including rising, cooling air, cloud formation and rainfall. However, some details are unclear or not supported by the diagram: the explanation about hot air moving upwards and cooler air settling near the surface is not shown, and “the land is then called” a desert oversimplifies how the process creates the dry region. The windward and leeward sides are not clearly distinguished. To make the account more complete, describe how rain falls on the windward side and dry air crosses the mountain to the leeward inland area.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows the broad sequence of the diagram, and the opening overview helps the reader understand the process from start to finish. However, progression is weakened by repetitive linking phrases such as “After that” and “then,” and some connections are unclear, particularly “Due to air the dry air then continues to move over the mountain.” The final sentence, “To core out,” does not provide a useful conclusion and repeats the task rather than adding information. Paragraphing is limited: the overview and process description are separated, but the closing sentence forms an unnecessary extra section. Use clear stages in a logical sequence and link them with precise references to the windward and leeward sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rainfall,” and “inland areas,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, making parts of the description difficult to follow. For example, “wind gets pushed upwards” is less precise than describing winds being forced up the mountain, while “cloud gets full with moist air” does not naturally express cloud formation and precipitation. There are also spelling errors such as “indland,” and “convert the land” is not an appropriate description of the outcome. Aim for accurate process terms and natural collocations, rather than repeating “wind,” “air,” and “then.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a sequence of clauses describing air rising, cooling and forming clouds. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. Examples include “winds come from sea,” “After that wind gets pushed,” and “When this dry winds reach inland then it convert,” which show problems with articles, agreement and verb forms. Sentence boundaries and spacing are also inconsistent, as in “process.It” and “mountains.Finally.” The final phrase “To core out” is not a grammatically clear concluding expression. Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a correctly formed subordinate clause, then check articles, subject–verb agreement and punctuation.

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