Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29

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)

this diagram illustrate the process of humidity rich wind approching from sea to the forming of clouds and rain falls and then the cold dry winds entering over mountain to inland areas

the winds approuch from oceans to coastal areas after that the wind are forced upwards on the edges of the mountain. however these winds are moistarized wind rich of humidity. the windward side of the mountain, when it reach to the top of the mountain wind converted into couds and the cloud then solidify into water drops that wee call it rain, after raining the dry air left out of rain and cloud move over the mountain leeward on the other side of the mountain after that the wind reaches inland areas.

however in this diagram it showed the the process of wind from sea to forming rain and reaching inland areas from one side of the mountain to oother side of the mountain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to describe the main features of the rain-shadow desert diagram, such as the winds approaching from the sea, rising over the mountains, cooling to form clouds and rain, and dry air descending on the leeward side towards inland areas. However, the response lacks a clear overview and fails to effectively synthesise the stages into a well-structured summary. Several details are repetitive or slightly confused, such as 'when it reach to the top of the mountain wind converted into couds'. While the core process is generally identified, the development is limited and lacks precision in reporting spatial and sequential relationships. This corresponds to Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text suffers from poor paragraphing and punctuation, beginning with lowercase letters and lacking full stops between major thoughts. The response is essentially broken into three poorly demarcated blocks of text. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate or repetitive ('after that', 'however', 'on the other side'). Although there is a discernible sequence following the stages of the diagram, the overall organisation lacks logical progression and clear mechanical cohesion, resulting in a confusing read that aligns with Band 4.5 or 5.0. Given the structural breakdown, a score of 5.0 is appropriate.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, with frequent spelling and word-choice errors. Examples include 'approching', 'moistarized', 'couds', 'solidify', and 'approuch'. While the student attempts some less common terms related to the prompt ('humidity rich', 'coastal areas', 'leeward'), inaccurate word forms and spelling errors ('humidity rich wind approching') frequently impede communication and strain the reader. This performance reflects the descriptors for Band 4.0, as basic vocabulary is heavily impacted by systemic inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The student demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures. Most sentences are simple or attempt complex forms that result in severe errors, run-on sentences, and faulty subordination (e.g., 'this diagram illustrate the process of humidity rich wind approching from sea to the forming of clouds and rain falls...'). There is a complete disregard for capitalization and punctuation, and verb tense and agreement errors are frequent (e.g., 'the wind are forced', 'wind converted'). Errors are pervasive throughout, impeding comprehension and meeting the criteria for Band 4.0.

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

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