Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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 4.0)

The information about the reporting about the rain in deserts

the chart about the weather reporting to give information for the peoplesrst

if we see the first the winds approach the sea and winds push the water toward the clouds through wind the moist air rises and cools from the clouds and the wind ward side to the clouds and that produce the water and then make the small dropes and fall the rain when rain is stop then sry air continues over the mountain because the

mountain are so high and thousends of kilometer and the dry winds reach the inland areas after that rain goes to the shadow of the desert the sea and the coast of desert is the thousend of kilometer away from the sea so that is the water and rain are not reach the desert

if water is coming in deserts the water is not enough for the desert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify several relevant stages, including winds approaching, air rising and cooling, rain falling, and dry air moving inland. However, the account only minimally fulfils the task because the process is not explained accurately or clearly as a whole. For example, “winds push the water toward the clouds” misrepresents the diagram: winds are pushed upwards over the mountains, while moist air cools and clouds form before rain falls on the windward side. The final point about the desert being far from the sea is also confused with the diagram’s scale label, “thousands of kilometres.” Include a concise overview of how the mountains create a dry leeward area, then describe the stages in their correct order and distinguish the windward and leeward sides.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is a basic attempt to follow the process from the approaching winds to the inland desert, and words such as “then,” “when,” and “after that” signal sequence. However, the ideas are not arranged coherently enough for the reader to follow the stages reliably. Most of the explanation is compressed into one long, loosely connected sentence, and links such as “through wind the moist air rises” and “that is the water and rain are not reach the desert” do not make the relationships clear. The opening lines also repeat the idea of reporting without introducing the process. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the stages, and connect each stage with clear, accurate sequencing and cause-and-effect language.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “moist air,” “mountain,” “dry winds,” “inland areas,” and “desert,” so the general subject can be recognised. However, the range is basic and several inaccurate or misspelled choices strain understanding. “Water” is repeatedly used where “moisture” or “rainfall” would be more precise, while “small dropes” and “sry air” contain spelling errors. Phrases such as “rain goes to the shadow of the desert” do not describe the diagram naturally or accurately. Build a small set of precise process terms—such as “rise,” “cool,” “condense,” “precipitation,” and “leeward”—and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect events with clauses using “when,” “because,” and “after that,” but sentence structures are limited and control is inconsistent. The long sentence beginning “if we see the first” contains several clauses without clear boundaries, making the sequence difficult to interpret. There are also recurring problems with agreement and verb forms, as in “the mountain are so high” and “rain are not reach the desert.” Articles and sentence openings are also unreliable, and punctuation is largely absent. Practise writing one clear sentence for each stage, using accurate present simple forms—for example, “Moist air rises, cools and forms clouds”—and then combine ideas only when the grammatical relationship is clear.

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

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