Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-04

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 illustrates the sequential process by which rain-shadow deserts are formed due to geographical and metrological factors. Overall, the process driven by the movement of moisture first winds approach coast from the sea encountering a mountain range, resulting in a coast than winds pushe upward between approach upwards dry mountain desert. In addtion, moist air rises and cools and they are making island desert mountain cool and upaward than after clouds from windward side moisture that could side of moist air and windward side they both are each other upwards. However, the rain falls on the top of mountain deserts and downward all the rain fall eventhough desert is alwaready moisture. Moreover, dry air continues over mountain slide by the rain falls on the over mountain again this leeward side become dry winds reach inland areas than after mountain is fully dry inland. Probably, i think dry wind can reach inland areas and inland doeward is rain -shadown desrt tha would really mountain desert is rain-shadow. In conclusion, this desrt mountain all this areas some of winds aproach, wind pushed, moist rises cool, cloud, rain fall and dry air continue and mountain is fully inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the topic and mention several relevant stages, including winds approaching the coast, air rising and cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry air moving inland. However, the account does not clearly explain the cause-and-effect sequence shown in the diagram, and some descriptions are inaccurate or difficult to interpret—for example, “resulting in a coast than winds pushe upward” and the claim that the desert is already moist. The overview also does not clearly summarise the key contrast: moist air rises and rains on the windward side, while dry air descends or continues over the leeward side to create an inland rain-shadow desert. Focus on reporting the diagram rather than adding speculation such as “Probably, i think.”

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is an attempt to present the process in sequence, and words such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Moreover” signal relationships between ideas. Nevertheless, the response is difficult to follow because stages are repeatedly combined in long, unclear sentences, and the sequence is not consistently expressed. For instance, “moist air rises and cools and they are making island desert mountain cool” does not make the relationship between rising air, cooling, and cloud formation clear. The conclusion repeats a list of stages rather than bringing the process together. Organise the response into a brief overview and a chronological description, using one clear sentence for each main stage and linking each stage to its result.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” “dry air,” and “windward side,” showing awareness of the diagram’s subject. However, the range is limited and many word choices or spellings make the meaning hard to recover, such as “metrological factors,” “island desert,” and “rain-shadown desrt.” Some terms are also used inaccurately or repetitively, including “mountain desert.” Use the diagram’s precise labels consistently and choose verbs that describe the process clearly, such as “rise,” “cool,” “condense,” and “reach.” Proofreading spelling and avoiding repeated, unclear phrases would make the description easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect ideas with clauses, as in “moist air rises and cools,” but sentence structures are often incomplete or overloaded, and grammatical errors frequently obscure the process. Examples include “winds approach coast from the sea” and “dry air continues over mountain slide by the rain falls,” where articles, sentence structure, and relationships between clauses are unclear. Pronoun reference is also confusing in “they are making,” and the final sentence does not form a clear grammatical summary. Build accurate simple sentences first, for example, “Moist air rises over the windward side and cools. Clouds form, and rain falls.” Then add a few controlled complex sentences using “as” or “so,” checking articles, verb forms, and punctuation.

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