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)

Rain-shadow deserts are interesting phenomena seen at costal sides. There is continuous formation of vapour or moist particles at sea surface and wind carry these particles to coast of sea. Wind carry these particles from ground to upward the mountains and gradually become cool. This process leads to cloud formation and ultimately to rains. When it starts raining water blows back to sea but dry and cold air moves other side of mountains. This air actullay cool and dry beacause of temperature above sea level is high.

As there is thousands of kilometers distance between coast and land and all this area is covered with hills so,due to pressure, dry air moves downward.When reaches the land its temperature gradullay increase and leads to falling of mist particles. Mist particles start shadding on land areas and it leads to formation of rain-shadow desert.This happens mostly at those places where there is sea and wind regularly blows over sea.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You describe the main sequence from sea winds rising over mountains to rain on the windward side and dry air reaching inland, so the response is relevant to the diagram. However, the account only partially reports the process: there is no clear overview of how the mountain creates a wet windward side and a dry leeward rain-shadow, and several explanations are not supported by the visual. For example, the diagram does not show vapour forming at the sea surface, water blowing back to sea, hills covering the inland area, or mist particles falling. The claim that the air becomes dry because the temperature above sea level is high also misrepresents the process. Focus on the labelled stages and explain their overall result more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some organisation: it begins with winds approaching from the sea, then describes rain over the mountains and the movement of dry air inland. This gives the reader a basic sense of sequence. However, the progression is not consistently clear, particularly where the explanation shifts from rain falling to water blowing back to sea, and then to pressure, temperature and mist. Linking phrases such as “When it starts raining” and “As there is” are used, but the relationships they introduce are sometimes unclear or inaccurate. The two paragraphs do not establish a clear overview followed by a well-ordered account of the stages. Group the process into its main phases and use precise references such as “on the leeward side” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “moist,” “cloud formation,” “dry air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the general topic. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the explanation difficult to follow. “Costal sides” is not an accurate description of the desert’s location, while “wind carry these particles from ground to upward the mountains” is awkward and unclear. “Water blows back to sea” and “mist particles start shadding on land areas” do not express the diagram’s stages accurately. Spelling errors such as “actullay,” “beacause,” and “gradullay” are also noticeable. Use the diagram’s precise terms—such as “windward,” “leeward,” “rises,” and “precipitation”—and check spelling and natural word combinations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences, for example, “When it starts raining water blows back to sea but dry and cold air moves other side of mountains.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in basic sentence patterns occur frequently. Examples include “wind carry” and “This air actullay cool and dry,” where subject–verb agreement and the verb structure are incorrect, as well as “When reaches the land,” which lacks a clear subject. Articles and prepositions are also often missing, as in “to coast of sea” and “moves other side of mountains.” These errors sometimes make the intended relationships hard to understand. Practise accurate simple clauses first, then combine them using subordinate clauses while checking agreement, articles and punctuation.

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