Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-30

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 given diagram ilustrate the one type of desert known as a rain-shadow desert is formed overall it is clear that the formantion rain-shadow desert when i see a sea and than a sea to moving a mountains and the dry air continues over mountains and dry winds reach inland areas and the last is make a rain shadow.

in the context first of all we can see a sea the sea winds approach coast and than winds pushed upwards is and the winds pushed upwards is become a moist air rises and cool the moist cool air can be made rain falls and the rain falls iis dry air countinues over mountain the mountain is slowly dry and the snow is melt and slowly flows the leeward side is mountains snow is melt and falls of their and the snow is going in inland areas and than again dry winds reach inland areas and than we can see a rain shadow desert so we can see a sea to a rain-shadow journy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the subject as the formation of a rain-shadow desert and include several relevant stages, such as winds approaching the coast, rising over the mountains, rain falling, and dry winds reaching inland. However, the account only partially reports the process: the overview is unclear, and the sequence from moist air cooling to cloud formation and rainfall is not explained accurately. The claims that snow melts, flows down the leeward side, and reaches inland are not shown in the diagram, while the key contrast between the wet windward side and dry leeward side is not clearly summarised. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of this contrast, then describe the stages in order using only features shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to organise the response into an opening paragraph and a second paragraph describing the process, and some sequence markers such as “first of all” and “and than” help signal order. However, progression is difficult to follow because ideas are repeatedly joined with “and than,” and several stages are restated rather than developed in a clear sequence. The opening sentence also combines the topic and overview without a clear structure, while the final phrase “a sea to a rain-shadow journy” does not provide a clear conclusion. Use one paragraph for a brief overview and another for the ordered stages, with precise links such as “as a result” and “after crossing the mountain.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “coast,” “moist air,” “mountain,” “dry winds,” and “inland areas,” so the reader can recognise the general topic. However, the range is limited and several choices or spellings make the description unclear, including “formantion,” “countinues,” and “rain-shadow journy.” Phrases such as “the mountain is slowly dry” and “the snow is melt” do not express the intended process naturally. Build a more accurate set of terms for this diagram, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “rises,” “cools,” “condenses,” and “precipitation,” and use them consistently. Check spelling and collocations when revising.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect stages in longer sentences, but sentence structures are often faulty, and errors frequently make relationships between events hard to understand. For example, “winds pushed upwards is become a moist air rises” mixes verb forms and does not form a clear clause; “the rain falls iis dry air countinues” also lacks a clear grammatical link. Articles and agreement are inconsistent in phrases such as “a sea” and “the moist cool air,” and punctuation is largely absent, causing run-on sentences. Practise writing one complete sentence for each stage, using a consistent present simple passive or active form—for example, “Moist air rises, cools and forms clouds”—and check verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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

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