Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-01

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 process demonstrate how individual type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall , there are seven stages for formation of rain-shadow

deserts. Where it begins with winds take up from the sea coast and ended by reached Dry winds in inland areas on the buttom.

At beginning, From the sea take coast up by winds and sloply pushed upwards . Then the coast make moist air and make temprature cool towards with windward side of the mountain. After that low altitude makes form of clouds which is responsibe for rain falls from the peak.

Supplemently, The air of moist dry continuely over the mountain and slope down along with leeward side. After a long down slip that dry winds reached to the inland areas on buttom and this all stages helps to made thousands of kilometres rain-shadow deserts

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as the formation of a rain-shadow desert and mention its broad sequence, including winds arriving from the sea, rain on the windward side, and dry winds reaching inland. However, several stages are unclear or inaccurately described: the coast does not make the air moist, and the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling before clouds form and rain falls. The overview also says the process ends with dry winds inland but does not clearly explain the key contrast between the wet windward side and dry leeward side. The response is 132 words, below the required 150; 11 words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count. Add accurate detail about each stage and complete the summary to meet the task requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs describing stages. Sequencing expressions such as “At beginning,” “Then,” and “After that” help show that this is a process. However, progression is not consistently clear because some stages are combined or expressed in confusing ways, for example, “the coast make moist air and make temprature cool towards with windward side.” The overview’s “Where it begins” is also an incomplete connection to the preceding sentence, and “Supplemently” does not clearly signal the next stage. Use one clear sequence through the process, with each sentence linking the cause to its result, and use accurate, varied transitions rather than relying on a few basic markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “clouds,” and “rain-shadow deserts,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the description difficult to understand. For example, “winds take up from the sea coast,” “low altitude makes form of clouds,” and “down slip” do not express the diagram’s stages naturally. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “temprature,” “responsibe,” and “continuely.” Aim to use precise process verbs and standard spellings, such as “rise,” “cool,” “condense,” “descend,” and “reach,” and check that each phrase accurately describes the visual.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect stages in longer sentences, but control of sentence structure is weak, and errors frequently make relationships between events unclear. For instance, “The process demonstrate” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “Overall, there are seven stages … Where it begins with winds…” creates an incomplete sentence. In “the coast make moist air and make temprature cool,” the verb forms and sentence construction are faulty; the final sentence also joins several ideas without a clear grammatical structure. Most sentences need more reliable control of subjects, verbs, articles and clause boundaries. Practise writing one complete sentence for each stage, using patterns such as “As the air rises, it cools and clouds form,” before attempting longer linked sentences.

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