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 diagram illustrates data about different steps of firming a rain shadow desert .

Overall, the figure provide that the process contain teen step passing by a mountains of thousands kilometres . the process commence with winds approach coast in the sea and winds pushed upwards in a mountain after moiset pushed upwards then the clouds form and after that the rain fails at the peak of the mountain . In addition , dry air continues over the mountain passing by leeward side iar dry winds reach ismald ieas To same up the process rain shadow disert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the subject and include several relevant stages, including winds approaching the coast, air rising, rain falling near the mountain peak, and dry air moving inland. However, the account is only partial: the overview does not clearly explain the key cause-and-effect pattern, and some stages are confused or unclear, such as “after moiset pushed upwards.” The description also ends with a fragment rather than a clear account of how dry winds create the rain-shadow desert. The response is 97 words, below the required 150, so important features are left undeveloped. To improve, give a concise overview of moisture being lost on the windward side and dry air descending on the leeward side, then describe each stage accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to follow the process in sequence, using expressions such as “Overall,” “after that,” and “In addition.” This gives the reader some sense of movement from the coast towards inland areas. However, the response is presented as one paragraph, and the progression is difficult to follow because several stages run together in a long, loosely connected sentence. Linking phrases are sometimes inaccurate or repetitive, while the final phrase, “To same up the process rain shadow disert,” does not form a clear conclusion. Organise the response into an overview and a separate process description, and use clear stage links such as “as a result” and “once the air crosses the mountain.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “coast,” “mountain,” “clouds,” “rain,” “dry air,” and “leeward side,” which helps identify the process. However, the range is limited, and frequent spelling and word-choice problems make parts of the description difficult to understand. Examples include “firming” for formation, “rain fails” for rain falls, “ismald ieas” for inland areas, and “disert” for desert. Some phrases are also imprecise, such as “the process contain teen step.” Practise accurate spelling of the diagram’s key terms and use precise process vocabulary, for example “moist air,” “precipitation,” and “rain-shadow desert,” rather than attempting unclear wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to describe a sequence and includes a few connected clauses, but sentence structures are limited and control is weak. Errors in agreement and verb forms appear in “the figure provide” and “the process contain,” while “winds approach coast” lacks an article and “winds pushed upwards” does not maintain a consistent present-tense description. The long sentence beginning “Overall” joins several stages without clear grammatical boundaries, and the final wording is incomplete. These frequent errors sometimes make the relationships between stages hard to interpret. Use the present simple consistently, check subject–verb agreement and articles, and separate each major stage into a complete sentence.

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