Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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 a linear process by which water and air particles mixed and cause rain.

Overall, this process contained 7 stages from the beginning of winds and ends with the dropping of rain on inland areas .The most interesting feature is that this process performed around the mountain from start to end with thousands of kilimeters distances and how this whole procedure is called Rain-shadow desert.

First of all, winds form the sea commence the method.After that air from the winds pushed to upwards and there rising air became cool and converted into the form of clouds on windward side which leads the process into rain particles, while rain particles fell on mountain along leeward side.After that dry winds reach inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the diagram as a process and mention several relevant stages, including winds arriving from the sea, air rising and cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry winds moving inland. However, the account is incomplete and contains a key misreading: rain falls on the windward side, not along the leeward side, and the desert is inland beyond the mountains rather than where rain falls. The overview also incorrectly says the process ends with rain on inland areas. The response is 27 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail you can provide. To improve, describe the full sequence accurately and explain that moisture is lost before dry air crosses the mountains and creates a rain-shadow desert inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall sequence, signalled by phrases such as “Overall,” “First of all,” and “After that,” so the reader can follow some of the stages. However, the information is compressed into two paragraphs, and the second paragraph combines several stages in one long sentence. The transition from rainfall to dry air reaching inland is abrupt, while the overview repeats or misstates details rather than summarising the process clearly. Organise the response into a concise overview followed by a step-by-step description, using separate sentences for the windward and leeward stages. More precise links such as “as a result” and “once the air crosses the mountain” would make the progression clearer without relying mainly on repeated sequencing phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “clouds,” “dry winds,” and “inland areas,” and the term “Rain-shadow desert” shows awareness of the topic. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “water and air particles mixed,” “commence the method,” and “rain particles,” which make the explanation less precise. “Kilimeters” is also misspelled, and “dropping of rain” is an awkward way to describe precipitation. Aim for standard geographical collocations and use the diagram’s labels accurately: for example, “moist air rises,” “precipitation falls,” and “dry air descends on the leeward side.” This would make the limited range more effective and reduce ambiguity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including a relative clause in “by which water and air particles mixed” and a clause linked with “which leads.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentences contain faulty forms or unclear construction. For example, “this process contained 7 stages” uses an unsuitable tense for a diagram, while “winds form the sea commence the method” lacks a clear grammatical relationship between its parts. The sentence beginning “After that air from the winds pushed to upwards” also has an incomplete passive construction. Use the present simple consistently for a process, check subject–verb relationships, and build longer sentences around one clear main clause. Accurate punctuation and removal of extra spaces would also improve readability.

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