Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30
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 process below illutrates the formation of rain-shadow deserts.
Overall, It is clear that natural process consist of 7 steps, begining with winds approach cost in the sea and ending drying winds reach inland area to form the rain shadow desert.
First of all, in the sea the winds approach cost has been pushed upward to the coast, after that the winds will be a moises air rises and cools then the clouds has began to introduce following this with rains falls, This 5 stages has underwent some exchanges in the windward side.
Turning to leward side, the rain falls has transformed to air continues over the mountains, the next stage will be drying winds reach inland areas and this step will be in the inland. The final stage is that the rain-shadow desert, is formed and this natural formation happened in differents area namely sea, mountains and inland and it formed in thousands of kilometres.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| 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 illustrating the formation of rain-shadow deserts, mentioning the 7 steps from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, there are significant comprehension and reporting inaccuracies regarding the sequence and spatial relationships. For instance, the text states 'winds approach cost has been pushed upward to the coast' and confuses the transition between the windward and leeward sides. Furthermore, the overview mentions 7 steps beginning with winds approaching the coast 'in the sea', which misinterprets the geography shown in the visual data. While the response does touch upon the main stages and locations (sea, mountains, inland), the ideas are poorly developed and confused by inaccurate reading of the process diagram. This performance corresponds to Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organised into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, which provides a basic structural framework. However, progression is frequently disrupted by confusing logical links and mechanical or inaccurate cohesive devices, such as 'First of all', 'after that', and 'Turning to leward side'. Referencing is often unclear, as seen in sentences like 'This 5 stages has underwent some exchanges'. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within paragraphs fails to guide the reader smoothly through the stages of the diagram. The overall arrangement lacks the clear logical progression required for higher bands, placing this text firmly at Band 5.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.0
The lexical range is limited and frequently inaccurate. The student attempts topic-specific vocabulary related to the diagram, such as 'rain-shadow deserts', 'windward side', and 'inland areas', but makes numerous spelling and word-choice errors (e.g., 'illutrates' instead of illustrates, 'begining' instead of beginning, 'cost' instead of coast, 'moises air' instead of moist air, 'leward' instead of leeward). These lexical errors and awkward collocations (e.g., 'drying winds' instead of dry winds) occasionally cause strain and confusion for the reader, fitting the descriptors for Band 4.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0
The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on basic, repetitive sentence patterns that are frequently faulty. There are persistent, major grammatical errors throughout the response, including tense confusion ('has began', 'has underwent', 'has transformed', 'happened'), subject-verb agreement issues ('natural process consist'), and fragment or run-on sentences (e.g., 'The final stage is that the rain-shadow desert, is formed and this natural formation happened...'). These frequent errors distort meaning and make the text difficult to parse in places, which is characteristic of Band 4.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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