Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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)

Evaporation is the process owned by nature, and then analyzed by people in the land. This process has made me very curious throughout my growing ages, and left me with number of questions. Growing up, going through my science books i got to know more about this process.

Evaporation is the process in which the water goes up in the skies in the form of moist air to form clouds and return back to the land in the form of Rain.

In the attached diagram, in the first step the wind reaches to the coast line and due to the mountain slope it will pushed upwards, here the moist air will be formed and this will create clouds. Clouds provide us rain, and the oxygen less air will move downwards from the mountain and those dry winds reaches the land.

Above is the process of the type of desert, known as Rain-shadow desert is formed. This is why the land of deserts are very cool and peaceful in the night.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the broad sequence from coastal winds to inland dry conditions, and it mentions clouds, rain, mountains and the desert. However, it only reports the process partially and includes substantial material that does not answer the diagram task, such as the personal introduction about curiosity and the claim that deserts are “very cool and peaceful in the night.” Several key stages are missing or unclear: the air rises and cools, rain falls on the windward side, and dry air crosses the mountain before reaching the leeward inland area. “Oxygen less air” is not supported by the diagram. To improve, remove personal commentary and give a concise overview followed by an accurate account of the main stages and the contrast between the wet windward side and dry leeward side.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic sequence in the process paragraph, signalled by “in the first step” and the movement from the coast towards inland areas. The final sentence also attempts to identify the subject of the description. However, the opening two paragraphs are personal background rather than relevant stages, so the response lacks a clear overall progression from overview to process details. Connections between stages are sometimes abrupt: for example, “Clouds provide us rain” does not clearly explain where rain falls or how this leads to dry air beyond the mountain. The repeated use of “process” and “this” also makes references less precise. Organise the response into a brief overview and a logically ordered description, using clear links such as “as a result” and “on the leeward side.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant topic vocabulary, including “coast line,” “mountain slope,” “moist air,” “clouds,” “dry winds” and “Rain-shadow desert.” This gives the reader a basic sense of the subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unsuitable for a formal process description. “The process owned by nature” and “growing ages” are awkward expressions, while “oxygen less air” mislabels the dry air shown in the diagram. “Clouds provide us rain” is also an imprecise collocation. Use more exact process terms, such as “air rises,” “cools,” “precipitation,” and “leeward side,” and avoid personal or conversational wording. More precise vocabulary would make the stages clearer without adding unnecessary detail.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentences, including a sequence joined with “and” and a relative clause beginning “in which.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors occur in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction. For example, “it will pushed upwards” needs a passive form such as “it is pushed upwards,” and “those dry winds reaches” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence beginning “Above is the process…” is also incomplete or awkwardly constructed, while “the land of deserts are” does not show agreement between subject and verb. Punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, including “i” and “Rain.” Practise accurate passive forms and shorter, controlled sentences before combining stages into more complex structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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