Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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 given process chart illustrates how one type of desert, known as a rain shadow desert is formed.

Overall, there are 7 steps in total, all steps are essential.

First of all, winds approach coast then winds are pushed upwards, afterwards moist air rises and cools subsequently, clouds are formed after that, rain falls subsequently, dry air continues over mountain, at last dry winds reach inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the process as the formation of a rain-shadow desert and report the seven stages in the correct order, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, the response is far too brief to summarise the diagram adequately: it contains 54 words, which is 96 words below the 150-word minimum, and 13 words copied from the prompt were excluded from that count. The overview, “all steps are essential,” does not explain the main outcome or the contrast between the rainy windward side and the dry inland leeward side. Important details such as the sea, mountain sides, rainfall, and desert location are not developed. Add a clear overview and explain how moisture loss over the mountains creates dry conditions inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an opening sentence, a brief overview, and a description of the stages. The sequence is also easy to follow because the steps are presented in the diagram’s order. However, nearly all the process details are compressed into one sentence, and the repeated connectors—“then,” “afterwards,” “subsequently,” and “after that”—make the progression sound mechanical. The final stages are joined without a clear transition, and the overview does not guide the reader towards the key contrast in the process. Use separate sentences or a paragraph for the stages, vary linking methods, and connect the rainfall on the windward side with the dry conditions beyond the mountains.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “winds,” “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain,” and “dry air,” so the basic sequence is understandable. The phrase “rain shadow desert” also identifies the topic, although the diagram presents this as a specific type of desert. The range is narrow, however, and several verbs are repeated or used in a basic way, such as “are formed,” “are pushed,” and “reach.” “Clouds are formed” is understandable but less natural here than “clouds form.” To describe the process more precisely, use terms such as “windward,” “leeward,” “precipitation,” and “moisture,” and explain how the air loses moisture as it crosses the mountains.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

Your opening sentence uses a clear present-tense structure, and the sequence is generally understandable. However, the response relies heavily on one long sentence joined by a series of time markers, so it shows little variety in sentence structure. In “winds approach coast,” the singular count noun needs a determiner (“the coast”), and “rain shadow desert” would also need an article in that sentence. The phrase “moist air rises and cools subsequently” is awkwardly arranged, while the long list of stages lacks punctuation that would make the relationships clearer. Practise combining stages with accurate clauses—for example, “As moist air rises over the mountains, it cools and forms clouds”—and use articles consistently.

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

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