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 structure illustrates about the formation of rain-shadow desert. It’s a type of desert which consists on a huge distance of mountains.

It contains many different processes for its completion . Firstly on the sea and coast, the wind on the ocean approaches to coast and the air forced upward to the hill. Third step is about moist wind increases and cool to the windward side , then it makes next part of it which leads to the clouds formation and rain falling.

Then the sixth step, dry wind continues toward leeward side. In the last steps, dry air reach the inhale areas. In this step, the inhaling processes occur which is main reason for the formation of rain-shadow desert.

In the conclusion, the air and rain are more significant for the procedure of this desert. The desert of such type is occured after inhalation of wind which of More than million metres.this rain creates the natural beauty of mountains.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation shown in the diagram, touching upon key stages such as winds approaching the coast, air rising and cooling, clouds forming, rain falling, and dry winds reaching inland areas. However, there are significant misinterpretations and confusion regarding the visual data. For instance, the student refers to 'inhale areas' and 'inhalation processes', which completely misinterprets the geographic and meteorological terms ('inland areas') presented in the diagram. Furthermore, the overview is weak, and the description of the scale ('More than million metres') is inaccurate compared to the prompt's 'Thousands of kilometres'. While the main sequence is touched upon, the lack of accurate reporting and misunderstanding of core labels limits the score to Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 due to addressing the general topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is organised into short paragraphs that attempt to follow the chronological steps of the diagram. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by confusing vocabulary and mechanical linking. Sentences such as 'Third step is about moist wind increases and cool to the windward side' lack smooth transitions and proper referencing. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly ('Firstly on the sea and coast', 'Then the sixth step', 'In the last steps'), and paragraphing is somewhat erratic, with ideas arbitrarily broken up. While there is a basic chronological framework, the overall arrangement is hindered by poor cohesion and referencing errors, placing it firmly at Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and heavily reliant on direct copying or incorrect alteration of terms from the prompt. The student makes severe lexical errors by misinterpreting diagram labels, writing 'inhale areas' instead of 'inland areas' and referring to 'inhalation processes'. Other awkward collocations and word choices include 'consists on a huge distance of mountains', 'completion' instead of 'process', and 'occured after inhalation of wind'. These errors frequently impede communication and strain the reader, meaning the response does not meet the requirements for Band 5.0 in terms of range and accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The writing exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mostly of simple and attempted complex sentences that are frequently faulty. Examples of grammatical errors include 'The structure illustrates about the formation', 'the wind on the ocean approaches to coast and the air forced upward', and 'the desert of such type is occured after inhalation'. There are frequent issues with prepositions, passive voice construction, tense consistency, and word forms (e.g., 'increase' instead of 'increases', 'cool' instead of 'cools'). These pervasive errors cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and restrict the score to Band 4.5, rounded to 4.5.

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