Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-25

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 the how the formation of rain shadow deserts with several seven stages .

Overall, the process involves several stages beginning with start and ending with the production of finished rain shadow desert.And overall the seven stages of this procedure .the process din on the mountain

The first process start with winds approach coast on the sea and did the second step winds pushed on upward side then moisture air is riseds and cools.this is converted into cloud form nearby windward side after that this is into rain falls.

In the next stage rain falls is converted into dry air continues over mountain and then goes to leeward side.and the fibal stage is dry winds reach inland areas this is came from leeward side. after all the process the get the result is make a rain shadow desert in underground.The distance between the mountain is thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and include its main sequence: coastal winds rise, clouds form, rain falls, and dry air moves inland to create a desert. This gives the reader a relevant account of the stages. However, the overview is unclear and repetitive: “beginning with start and ending with the production of finished rain shadow desert” does not clearly summarise the process’s key cause-and-effect pattern. Some details are also inaccurate or confusing. For example, rain does not turn into dry air; rather, air continues over the mountain after losing moisture. The desert is inland beyond the leeward side, not “in underground,” and the final sentence misrepresents the thousands-of-kilometres label as the distance between mountains. A clearer overview and more accurate stage descriptions would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to the stages before and after rainfall. Sequencing phrases such as “The first process,” “after that,” and “In the next stage” help show the order. However, progression is weakened by repeated or unclear statements, especially the overview, which repeats that there are seven stages without explaining their overall pattern. Some links are inaccurate or difficult to follow, as in “rain falls is converted into dry air continues over mountain,” so the relationship between stages is not clear. The final sentence about the distance also feels disconnected from the process description. Organise the stages in a more direct sequence and use linking words to express cause and result accurately.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use several relevant terms from the diagram, including “coast,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “dry winds,” and “inland areas,” which helps identify the process. However, the range is limited and many phrases are inaccurate or awkward, sometimes making the meaning difficult to understand. Examples include “moisture air,” “the fibal stage,” “this is came from leeward side,” and “the result is make a rain shadow desert in underground.” There is also repetition of “process” and “stage,” while “converted into” is used where a more precise verb is needed. Build a small set of accurate process verbs and collocations, such as “rises,” “cools,” “loses moisture,” and “forms,” and check spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to describe a sequence using both simple sentences and linked clauses, but grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors frequently make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “the formation of rain shadow deserts with several seven stages” lacks a complete, correctly formed structure, while “moisture air is riseds and cools” has errors in noun phrasing and verb form. In “rain falls is converted into dry air continues over mountain,” the sentence structure and verb forms obscure the intended meaning. Articles, agreement, and punctuation are also unreliable, as in “the fibal stage is dry winds reach inland areas.” Practise forming clear subject–verb sentences first, then connect them with accurate clauses such as “As the air rises, it cools and clouds form.”

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