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 shows one type of desert's formation of rain-shadow. The diagram shows the mountains is spread on thousands pf kilometres having one side sea and other side inland aera.

According to the chart, Wind comes from the coastal side hits the surface of mountain then goes upwards direction and moist air rises get cools. The moist air helps in the formation of clouds after that it can be rain falls. One side of mountain shows downward side and when rain falls the dry air continuesly running over the mountain in the downside direction.

The dry air comes to other side of the mountains continues basis and reaches inland areas. So the inland areas gets the air when rain falls over the mountains.

The dry air continues flows to inland areas.

Inclusion, This diagram shows that when coastal air comes over the mountains and gets moisture it turned into clouds then rain falls.It helps inland areas to get dry air with the help of rain-shadow desert cycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main sequence: coastal winds move towards the mountains, rise and cool, clouds form, rain falls, and dry air continues inland. This is relevant and shows a basic understanding of the process. However, some key relationships are unclear or inaccurately described. For example, “when coastal air comes over the mountains and gets moisture” reverses the process: the air rises, cools and loses moisture as rain on the windward side, leaving dry air to descend on the leeward side and reach the inland rain-shadow desert. The overview also does not clearly explain how this creates the desert, and the description of the mountain’s two sides is vague. A more precise summary of the windward-to-leeward contrast would make the main features clearer and more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response is divided into paragraphs and generally follows the diagram’s sequence, so the reader can recognise the broad stages. However, progression is weakened by repetition and unclear links. The final two paragraphs repeat that dry air reaches inland areas, while “So the inland areas gets the air when rain falls over the mountains” does not clearly connect the rainfall to the dry air beyond the mountains. Linking phrases such as “after that” and “when” are used, but the relationships they express are sometimes imprecise. The opening also combines several locations in a confusing sentence. Organise the account into a clear overview followed by the stages, and use references such as “this air” only when their meaning is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use several relevant terms, including “coastal,” “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” and “inland areas,” which help convey the diagram’s subject. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are inaccurate or awkward, making parts of the process difficult to interpret. “Downward side” is not a clear label for the leeward side, and “continuesly running” does not naturally describe air movement. There are also spelling and form errors, such as “pf” and “aera.” Aim to use the diagram’s precise vocabulary—particularly “windward,” “leeward,” “descends,” and “rain-shadow desert”—and check spelling and collocations. This would make the description more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a sequence linked with “then” and “after that,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in agreement and sentence structure appear in examples such as “the mountains is spread” and “the inland areas gets.” Verb forms are also faulty in “moist air rises get cools” and “dry air continues flows,” while the final sentence has unclear punctuation and clause boundaries. These problems sometimes make the process hard to follow, even though the general topic remains recognisable. Practise building accurate sentences with a clear subject and verb—for example, “Moist air rises, cools and forms clouds”—then connect stages with a controlled range of clauses.

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