Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17

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 4.0)

The picture illustrates provide information on type of desert formation of rain shadow deserts in kilometers of thousands .

Overall, the diagram presents the data of seas , coast , mountain and inland. According to when the sea water increase water level it moves to coastal with help of wind and wind forward to the upperlevel of water.

Then in the air it will be form as clouds , the clouds will be changed into black colour and fall rains into the mountains. In the mountain the water will be comes down to the ground level and dry air forms in the mountain.

In conclusion, Thousand of kilometers the wind air flows in the rain deserts and the desert will be become to the empty level the will be evoprates then it will be become empty it form as desert. Then it will form as rain shadow desert of kilometer of desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, but it struggles significantly with accurate reporting of the visual data. While the writer mentions the sea, coast, mountains, and wind, the description of the actual process is confused and inaccurate, stating for instance that 'sea water increase water level' and that clouds 'changed into black colour and fall rains into the mountains.' Furthermore, the overview is extremely weak and fails to capture the main stages or the overall spatial progression from the sea across the mountains to the inland desert. Because the core features of the diagram are misinterpreted and inadequately summarized, this performance aligns closely with Band 4.0 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The text is organized into basic paragraphs including an introduction, body, and conclusion, which provides a rudimentary structural framework. However, the logical progression is severely disrupted by confusing transitions and unclear referencing. Phrases such as 'According to when the sea water increase water level' and 'In conclusion, Thousand of kilometers the wind air flows' create non-sequiturs and fail to link ideas logically. Cohesive devices are either misused or absent, making the flow disjointed and difficult for the reader to follow. Paragraphing is attempted but lacks purposeful control over the sequence of information, fitting the profile of a Band 4.0 response.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic, repetitive, and frequently strained. The writer relies heavily on simple terms from the prompt and misuses vocabulary items, such as 'evoprates' (evaporates) and 'empty level'. Collocations are unnatural and incorrect, for example, 'wind forward to the upperlevel of water' and 'the desert will be become to the empty level'. Due to the extremely limited range of appropriate vocabulary and frequent word-choice errors that impede understanding, the lexical resource corresponds to Band 4.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammatical range is extremely limited, consisting mostly of poorly constructed simple and complex sentences. There are frequent and systematic errors in tense usage, article placement, subject-verb agreement, and prepositional phrases. Examples include 'The picture illustrates provide information', 'wind forward', 'it will be form as clouds', and 'fall rains'. These errors frequently distort the intended meaning and cause significant difficulty for the reader. Complex structures, where attempted, are consistently faulty. This level of grammatical control reflects Band 4.0.

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