Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-02

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 how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow, is formed.

Overall, it undergoes seven steps to form a rain-shadow desert.

initially, it starts with the approach of wind towards the coast after that, winds are pushed upwards the windward side. The mosit air rises and cools then the clouds are formed results in rainfalls.

After the rain falls, the dry air continues over mountain towards leeward side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the process as the formation of a rain-shadow desert and report several central stages: winds approach the coast, rise on the windward side, cool, form clouds and produce rain. However, the response is very incomplete: it stops after dry air crosses the mountain and does not report that dry winds reach inland areas, where the rain-shadow desert forms. The overview only says there are seven steps, rather than summarising the key contrast between rainfall on the windward side and dry conditions inland. The response also falls short of the required 150 words; 10 words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count. To address the task more fully, describe the final stage and explain the overall cause-and-effect pattern.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, moving from winds approaching the coast to rain and then dry air crossing the mountain. The separate overview and process paragraphs also give the reader some organisation. However, progression is not consistently clear: “initially” is not capitalised, and “after that” is joined to the next clause without punctuation, making the transition difficult to follow. The final paragraph is very brief and leaves the process unfinished, so the sequence does not reach its stated outcome. Use clear sentence boundaries and linking expressions such as “Next,” “As a result,” and “Finally” to guide the reader through all stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “dry air,” “coast,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the topic. There is also some variation in describing movement, such as “approach” and “continues.” However, the range is limited, and several expressions are imprecise or awkward: “the approach of wind towards the coast” is less natural than “winds blow in from the sea,” while “results in rainfalls” is not an appropriate collocation. “Mosit” is also misspelled. Aim for accurate process language such as “moist air,” “condenses,” and “precipitation,” and use the diagram’s label “inland areas” when describing where the dry winds arrive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both a simple overview sentence and longer sentences describing stages, but the range remains limited and errors are frequent enough to make some relationships unclear. For example, “initially, it starts with the approach of wind towards the coast after that, winds are pushed upwards” joins separate clauses without suitable punctuation or a conjunction. “The mosit air rises and cools then the clouds are formed results in rainfalls” also contains faulty clause connections and an unclear verb structure. Capitalise “Initially,” and divide the process into complete sentences, for example: “The winds are then forced upwards. As the moist air rises, it cools and clouds form.” Practising accurate complex sentences with “as,” “when,” and “therefore” would improve control.

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

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