Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

There is a diagram given in the image which shows how electircity is generated in a hydroelectric power station from river to grid.

First of all there is a narrow part of river which is controlled by a dam with a lot of space and a gate to control the flow. Gate of the dam is open or close by the intake day open and night close. During the day time water flow from dam to the generator to produce electricity. However in the night water flow backwards through through pumping to the dam for storing the water again. In the power station there are some reversible turbines. The trubines operate as a genrator in the day time and operate as pump in the night time to high-level reservoir. There is a also a low level reservoir which operate as pushing back the water stored into it according to intakes day and night.

All the water moving forward or backward is passing through the turbines which produce energy and send it to the national grid using power lines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main process and include the important day–night contrast: water flows down to generate electricity during the day, while it is pumped back at night. You also mention the dam, reversible turbines, generator and national grid, so the response is relevant to the diagram. However, the stages are not reported clearly or fully. For example, the account does not explain that water first enters the high-level reservoir from the river, then passes through the intake and conduit, before reaching the low-level reservoir. The overview is also implicit rather than clearly stated, and the final claim that all water movement produces energy is inaccurate: at night, the turbines pump water back uphill. A clearer summary of the complete cycle would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from the river and dam to the power station and then the grid, and the contrast marker “However” helps signal the change from daytime to nighttime operation. Nevertheless, the progression is not consistently clear. The opening “First of all” does not introduce a distinct stage, and the final sentence returns to electricity generation after the nighttime pumping explanation, making the cycle harder to follow. Some references are also unclear, particularly “it” in “storing the water again” and “which operate as pushing back the water.” Organise the description into a clear overview followed by the daytime flow and the nighttime return, using precise references to each reservoir and component.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant process terms, including “intake,” “reversible turbines,” “high-level reservoir,” “pumping” and “national grid.” These show some task-specific vocabulary, but the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the process difficult to picture. For instance, “a lot of space” does not describe the reservoir precisely, and “operate as a generator” is less natural than describing the turbines as driving the generator. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “electircity,” “trubines” and “genrator.” Aim for accurate process verbs and standard technical terms, and proofread spelling so that the relevant vocabulary is communicated clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including a contrast with “However,” but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. Verb forms and agreement are often inaccurate: “water flow,” “the turbines operate as a pump,” and “which operate” need forms that agree with their subjects and describe the process consistently. Articles and sentence construction also cause problems in “There is a also a low level reservoir,” while “Gate of the dam is open or close by the intake” is difficult to interpret because the grammatical relationships are unclear. Repeated wording in “through through” and inconsistent punctuation add to the errors. Practise accurate present-simple passive forms for process descriptions, such as “water is pumped,” alongside clear, complete sentences.

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