Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

The diagram illustrates generation of electricity in hydroelectric station.

Overall, Water flowing from high level to low level reservior generates power, the intake operate depends on the day time, the movment pules generator to start working and feeding grids. at night, the water goes up during pumping to repeat operations again next day.

in the day, high reservoir feeded from river and the Dam helps to accumulate water, the intake will be open and the water starts flowing from high to low stage. Passing the Power station which lead to pulls turbines and generate power to give electricity lines then to national grid, finally water reach the low level reservoir.

At night, The intake will be closed to allow reservoir to filling itself, the operation will flipped from low to high, the water flow is returned to high level by pumping water into it to be ready for the next day generation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main cycle and provide an overview: water moves from the high-level reservoir to the low-level reservoir by day, then is pumped back at night. The account also includes the intake, turbines, generator and national grid, so the key stages are recognisable. This meets the task well, although some details are less fully or accurately explained. For example, the generator is described as being “pulled” by the turbines, rather than the turbines driving it, and the daytime route through the power station is compressed. The statement that the intake is closed “to allow reservoir to filling itself” is also unclear; the diagram shows the intake closed at night while water is pumped back uphill. A more precise explanation of this reversal would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an overview is followed by separate descriptions of daytime and nighttime operation. This makes the cycle easy to follow, and time markers such as “in the day” and “At night” help signal the sequence. However, some links between stages are abrupt or unclear, particularly in the long daytime sentence beginning “Passing the Power station,” where the relationship between the water, turbines and generator is difficult to track. The overview also strings several points together with commas and a full stop in an unexpected place, which weakens progression. Use clearer sentence boundaries and connect each stage in order, while avoiding repeated references to “the operation.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “high level,” “intake,” “pumping,” “turbines,” “reservoir” and “national grid,” which allows the reader to identify the main components. However, the range and control of vocabulary are limited, and several inaccurate or misspelled choices make parts of the description harder to understand. “The movement pulls generator” is not a natural way to describe the mechanism, while “feeded” and “reservior” are spelling or word-form errors. “The operation will flipped” also uses an unsuitable expression for the reversal of water flow. Aim for precise process verbs and standard technical collocations, such as water being channelled through turbines and electricity being transmitted to the grid.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the use of time clauses and sequencing shows some range. However, errors in verb forms, articles, agreement and sentence boundaries are frequent enough to make several sentences difficult to read. Examples include “the intake operate depends,” “the water starts flowing,” and “the operation will flipped”; these need clearer subject–verb relationships and correctly formed verbs. In “the intake will be closed to allow reservoir to filling itself,” the infinitive pattern is incorrect, and the article is missing. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “Overall, Water” and the lower-case “at night” after a full stop. Build accuracy with shorter, complete sentences before adding more complex structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.