Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-31

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 process of creating desert from rain shadow.

It is clear that the origin process of desert consists of seven stages and a number of different level winds approch to final created shadow desert.

begin with first level which created heavy winds from core of sea then winds are made and pushed upwards to moist air and rises cools these creates a form which called clouds looks like slim cotton then strated heavy raifall by black clouds and it is sound thunder that could be so panic.

After that, air would be dry and fallen mountain as gradually so that it will be reach on the inland finally when it reached the inland it fully prepared as a desert. which called rain shadow desert. that means created winds made rain from clouds and these form helps to reached as o form of shadow loolks like drouhgt, sometimes it increased major issue for people and it has positive effect for farmers, they get lot water and used their cultivation so that get good crops.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and mention its seven stages, including the movement of air from the sea, cloud formation, rainfall, and the eventual desert inland. This gives the reader a basic account of the main sequence. However, several key relationships are unclear or inaccurate: winds are not “created” from the sea, and the dry air continues over the mountain before reaching the inland area. The response also adds unsupported details about thunder, effects on farmers, crops, and drought-related issues; these do not appear in the diagram and distract from reporting it. To strengthen the summary, give a clear overview of how moist air rises and rains on the windward side, leaving dry air to descend on the leeward side and create a rain-shadow desert.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some sequencing, with “begin with,” “After that,” and “finally” guiding the reader through parts of the process. The opening also signals that the diagram has seven stages. However, the response is arranged as one long body paragraph after the introduction, and the progression becomes difficult to follow when several stages are compressed into a single sentence. For example, the account of rising air, cooling, cloud formation, and rainfall is not clearly separated, while the final sentence shifts to effects on people and farmers. Use distinct paragraphs for the overview and process details, and connect each stage in order with clear references such as “as the air rises” and “on the leeward side.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rainfall,” “inland,” and “rain shadow desert,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or combinations make the meaning difficult to understand, such as “final created shadow desert,” “fallen mountain,” and “a form which called clouds.” There are also spelling errors, including “approch,” “raifall,” and “drouhgt.” Avoid informal or speculative descriptions such as “slim cotton” and “panic”; use precise terms from the diagram instead. Building a small set of accurate process verbs and geographical terms will make the description clearer and more appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to link ideas in longer sentences, but control of sentence structure is inconsistent, and errors frequently make relationships between stages hard to follow. For instance, “begin with first level which created heavy winds” lacks a clear subject and has an unclear verb pattern, while “air would be dry and fallen mountain as gradually” does not form a grammatical clause. Articles and sentence boundaries are also problematic, as in “which called rain shadow desert” and the run-on final sentence beginning “that means.” Use complete sentences with an explicit subject and verb, and check verb forms and agreement. A reliable pattern such as “Moist air rises, cools, and forms clouds” would help convey the sequence accurately.

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