Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-30

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 diagram shows how one type of desert known as a rain shadow desert is formed. the formation of rain shadow deserts. first of all the moment creat a mountains two side. the mountains has big lent of many kilometres. the winds approach on the sea and wind speed is many kilometres houre. the wind pushed up wards on the mountaints. winds colse on the mountains the airs was rises and cools. after is winds inter on the clouds form this is the four number. after this rain falls on side. the mountains leeward sideis start, after the rain falls dry air continues over the mountain. the air contenew on his way and dry winds reach inland areas to the other side. the all diagram show the air who can help the rain on the side this is all risions to a rain on the mountains this is the expalme

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the subject and report several stages, including winds approaching, rising and cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry air moving inland. However, the account is incomplete and sometimes misrepresents the diagram: it does not clearly explain that moist air rises on the windward side, loses moisture as rain, and then continues over the mountain as dry air toward the leeward inland area. The opening also introduces unsupported details about mountain size and wind speed; the diagram only indicates a horizontal distance of thousands of kilometres. There is no clear overview of the process as a whole. The response is 136 words, below the required 150, which further limits its coverage. Add a concise overview and accurately describe the full sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows some of the diagram’s sequence, using markers such as “first of all” and “after this,” so the reader can recognise a basic attempt to describe stages. However, ideas are not arranged into clear paragraphs, and the progression becomes difficult to follow in sentences such as “after is winds inter on the clouds form this is the four number.” Several transitions are inaccurate or unclear, while repeated references to “the mountains” and “the air” do not always make the relationships between stages clear. The final sentence does not provide a clear summary. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and a chronological description, using simple, accurate links such as “as a result” and “then.”

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “winds,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” “dry air,” and “inland areas,” which helps identify the topic. However, the range is basic and several spelling and word-choice errors make the description hard to understand, for example “lent,” “houre,” “colse,” and “expalme.” Some phrases are not suitable for describing the diagram, such as “the moment creat a mountains two side” and “the air who can help the rain.” Use precise terms from the process, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “precipitation,” and check spelling. Avoid adding unsupported descriptions such as “wind speed” when the diagram gives no such information.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to describe a sequence using simple clauses and a few connected ideas, but grammatical control is very limited. Errors in sentence structure and verb forms occur throughout, as in “the mountains has big lent” and “the airs was rises and cools.” Articles, plurals, and agreement are also unreliable, and several clauses lack a clear subject or complete structure. These problems frequently make the intended relationships between stages difficult to understand. Punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, including the lowercase sentence opening “the formation.” Build accurate short sentences first—for example, “Moist air rises over the windward side and cools”—then connect them with clear sequencing words. Proofread each sentence for subject–verb agreement and tense.

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