Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 below shows how one type of desert know as a rain -shadow desert, is formed. Overall, the rain falls start from the sea where the water start evaporate to the sky. The wind push upward to the sky. After this moist air rises cools. In step 4 the wind change in clouds form and start rain. In leeward side steps, dry air continue over mountain. Step 7 dry winds reach inland areas. The formation of rain-shadow desert road is thousands of kilometers. The main body of this picture is mountains. The rain fall on mountains, after the raining .The dry air travel to the leeward side and reach to the rain-shadow desert. The major reason of rain falling is sea water, because the water evaporate to the sky side and convert into cold clouds form. The rain-shadow desert depend on sea water. The comparison between sea water and rain-shadow desert is sea water give the water to the sky to make cold cloud for rain fall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting a sequential description of the diagram with noticeable limitations. While the student attempts to outline the stages from the sea to the inland desert, the overview is weak and the information is presented in a somewhat disjointed and repetitive manner. For instance, the writer states that 'the rain falls start from the sea where the water start evaporate', which misinterprets the physical progression shown in the visual data. The explanation of key features such as the windward and leeward sides lacks clarity, and the explanation tends to circle back to the role of sea water rather than tracing the complete geographical mechanism of a rain-shadow desert. To move to a higher band, the student needs to select and report the main features more accurately and provide a clearer overall summary of the process without repetition.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a lack of clear overall progression and logical organisation in this response. The text is written as a single block paragraph rather than using logical paragraphing to separate the introduction, main stages, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are either inadequate or inaccurate, resulting in a mechanical feel; expressions such as 'After this moist air rises cools' and 'In step 4 the wind change in clouds form' disrupt the flow of ideas. Furthermore, referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the exact sequence of the natural process being described. To achieve a higher band, the student should organise the response into clear paragraphs and use a wider, more accurate range of cohesive devices to guide the reader smoothly through the stages of the diagram.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student attempts some less common terms related to the prompt, such as 'evaporate', 'moist air', and 'rain-shadow desert', but there are noticeable word-form and collocation errors throughout the text. Examples include 'water start evaporate' instead of 'water starts to evaporate', 'wind push upward' instead of 'winds are pushed upward', and 'the wind change in clouds form'. Additionally, spelling and word choice inaccuracies are present, such as 'rain falls start' and 'raining'. These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. To improve lexical resource, the student should focus on using correct word forms and expanding their range of descriptive vocabulary for process diagrams.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The writing demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent errors in basic grammar. There are regular issues with verb forms, tense consistency, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'the rain falls start', 'water start evaporate', and 'dry air continue'. Articles and prepositions are also frequently misused or omitted, as seen in 'reach to the rain-shadow desert' and 'in leeward side steps'. Attempts at complex structures are faulty and lead to awkward phrasing that can impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student needs to improve grammatical accuracy, ensure correct verb tenses and agreements, and incorporate a greater variety of error-free complex sentences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.