Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-03

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 the process by which electricity is produced in a hydroelectric power station.

Overall, River water passes from high-level reservoir to low-level reservoir through the turbines attached to a generator which in turn produce electricity via the rotation of turbines. However, a dam is constructed to separate the water of high-level and low-level reservoir.

For generating electricity, first a dam is need to construct to create a high-level reservoir where river water is stored which usually remains open at day and closed at night. In the daytime, when the gates of dam opened water flows from high- level reservoir to low-level reservoir through a turbine attached to a generator. Conversely in the night, water flows back from low-level reservoir to high level reservoir which reverse the turbines. When the water passes through the turbines electricity produced through the generator which we used for power lines and for National grid.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the hydroelectric process, including the reservoirs, the dam, and the turbine/generator mechanism. However, the description of the process is somewhat inaccurate; for instance, the text claims the water flows back to the high-level reservoir at night, which is a specific feature of pumped-storage plants not necessarily universal to all hydroelectric stations. The overview is present but could be more clearly integrated. The response addresses the prompt, but the lack of precision in describing the mechanical cycle limits the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. While there is a logical progression, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. Phrases like 'Conversely in the night' are used, but the transition between the general overview and the detailed process is abrupt. Paragraphing is used, but the body paragraph is quite dense and would benefit from being split to separate the daytime and nighttime operations more clearly. Referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'hydroelectric power station', 'reservoir', and 'generator'. However, there is a lack of variety and some awkward phrasing, such as 'a dam is need to construct' (grammatical error affecting lexical accuracy) and 'which reverse the turbines'. The range is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or precision required for a higher band. More precise verbs related to mechanical processes would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'a dam is need to construct' (should be 'a dam needs to be constructed'), 'gates of dam opened' (missing article), and 'electricity produced' (missing auxiliary verb 'is'). While there is an attempt at complex sentence structures using relative clauses ('which in turn produce...'), the frequent errors in verb forms and articles suggest a lack of control over complex structures. Simple sentences are generally accurate, but the overall accuracy is inconsistent.

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

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