Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18
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 4.5)
The diagram illustrates how one type of desert convert into the formation of rain shadow-deserts by seven stape.
to beign with , winds approach coast on sea side and afterthat it was pushed upwards to a mountains. While, their are moist air rises and cools continuesly. Meanwhile, moist air convert into cloud form. The whole processed in windward side of mountains. As a result, clouds make a water by rainfall.
In addition, after rainfall dry air continues over mountain in leeward side. Countinuesly, dry winds reach inland areas in rain-shadow desert. This was made a thousands of kilometres in process. It was a sea coast to inland depend on the mountain widward sideb and leeward side wind. The formation of rain-shadow deserts have a completed in 7 stspes.
Overall, the processed start to the sea coast and end on the inland. All the seven stape discribe a dormation of rain-shadow deserts.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the diagram showing the formation of a rain-shadow desert, noting the seven stages from the sea coast to the inland area. However, there are numerous inaccuracies in reporting the visual data. For instance, the opening sentence claims the desert 'convert into the formation of rain shadow-deserts', which misinterprets the process. While the response mentions the windward side, clouds, rainfall, leeward side, and dry winds, the progression is confusingly described and lacks a clear, well-developed overview. Important relationships, such as the rain shadow effect being caused by the mountain blocking moisture, are obscured by unclear phrasing. This corresponds to a Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The text is organised into four brief paragraphs, attempting a structural progression from introduction to body details and an overall summary. However, logical organisation is severely hindered by mechanical and inaccurate cohesive devices. Transitions such as 'to beign with', 'afterthat', 'While, their are', and 'Countinuesly' are misused or heavily misspelled, disrupting the flow of information. Referencing is also unclear, particularly with pronouns like 'This was made a thousands of kilometres' and 'It was a sea coast to inland'. Paragraphing is present, but overall cohesion is inadequate and repetitive, fitting the Band 4 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is very basic, repetitive, and plagued by severe spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text. Examples include misspellings such as 'stape' (for stage), 'to beign' (begin), 'continuesly' (continuously), 'processed' (process), 'widward' (windward), 'discribe' (describe), and 'dormation' (formation). The student attempts less common terms like 'rain-shadow desert', 'windward side', and 'leeward side' directly from the prompt, but their own lexical control is extremely limited and causes strain for the reader, aligning with Band 4 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
Grammatical range is extremely limited, relying almost entirely on simple sentences with frequent, severe errors in tense, voice, and agreement. Examples include 'winds convert into the formation', 'it was pushed upwards to a mountains', 'their are moist air rises', 'moist air convert into cloud form', and 'The formation of rain-shadow deserts have a completed in 7 stspes.' These pervasive errors distort meaning and make many sentences ungrammatical. There is a lack of control over basic verb forms and plurals, placing the performance firmly at Band 4.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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