Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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 formation of rain desert is usually cause from the wind which apporach sea or coast at the passing time the wind upward the coast and moist air rises at the specific time the wind goes windward side the windward side is basically consuming the wind cool and then it comes oves the cloud and the rain fall cause these rain fall can produce cool air on the mountain and at the peak of the mountain the wind is too much fast by reducing of time the wind comes dry on the peak of mountain and dry air countinous on the mountain in that occuatiom the wind comes to leeward side and the dry wind reaches the land scape in all that proccess the formation of rain desert cause and it goes thousands of kilometers in that jounra basically the formation of rain desert cause from the global warming e

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response addresses the task only partially and presents a confused interpretation of the process. While it attempts to mention the wind approaching the coast and the formation of clouds and rain, key features of the diagram are missed or misunderstood. For instance, the text claims that 'the formation of rain desert cause from the global warming', which introduces outside speculation not supported by the visual data. The explanation of stages lacks clarity and logical progression, resulting in a minimal response that fails to effectively report the main features and comparisons shown in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

Information and ideas are not arranged coherently. The entire response is written as a single, dense block of text without any paragraph breaks, making it difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of stages. Cohesive devices are largely absent or misused, leading to run-on sentences that lack clear boundaries. Referencing is frequently unclear, such as the repetitive use of 'the wind' without proper pronouns or transitional markers to guide the reader through the progression from the sea to the inland desert.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with frequent errors in word choice, word form, and spelling that occasionally strain the reader's understanding. Words like 'apporach', 'occuatiom', 'jounra', and 'countinous' demonstrate noticeable spelling issues. Furthermore, inappropriate lexical choices such as 'land scape' instead of inland area or terrain, and awkward collocations like 'cause from the wind', limit the precision and adequacy of the response for an academic task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on run-on clauses linked improperly. Errors are frequent throughout the text, particularly with verb forms, voice, and prepositions, such as 'is usually cause from' instead of 'is usually caused by' and 'the wind upward the coast'. Missing articles and incorrect punctuation further distort meaning and make parts of the text difficult to parse, keeping the grammatical control well below the expected standard.

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

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