Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-15
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 5.0)
The diagram illustrates how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station. The hydroelectric power station consist dam, power station and generator.
Overall, it is clear that the process consist on distinct process which generate electricity by using hydroelectric power station. These process involve many features such as dam generator, power lines and national grid.
On the one hand, a large amount of river water flows into the dam with high pressure and high level reservoir increase the flow of water with the day intake. This intake significantly generate electricity in the time of day. Similarly, the flow of water pump during night to surged the water and raach the power station.
In the remaining process, the power station consists two main process such as power lines national grid. The generator absorbs a heavy amount of water and water flow through the pipeline reach the national grid. The national grid genrate electricity by hydroelectric power station.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the task but fails to provide a clear or accurate summary of the process. While you mention the dam and the generator, the description of the mechanism is confusing and factually inaccurate regarding how a hydroelectric plant functions (e.g., the claim that water is pumped at night to 'surge' the water is not clearly linked to the diagram's logic). The overview is vague and repetitive, failing to highlight the key stages of the cycle effectively. To improve, focus on describing the sequence of events—from the reservoir to the turbine and finally the power lines—more precisely, ensuring the relationship between the components is clear.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow between sentences is weak. Transitions like 'On the one hand' and 'In the remaining process' are used, but they do not accurately reflect the progression of a technical process. Some sentences are disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of electricity generation. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the vague use of 'these process' and 'the remaining process'. To improve, use more precise linking words to show cause and effect, and ensure each paragraph focuses on a distinct stage of the diagram.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and often repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'process', 'features', and 'generate'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'surged the water' and 'raach the power station' (spelling error). The phrasing 'intake significantly generate electricity' is grammatically and lexically awkward. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise technical vocabulary related to the diagram, such as 'turbine', 'penstock', 'reservoir', and 'transmission lines', and ensure that words are used in their correct grammatical form.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Subject-verb agreement is inconsistent, for example, 'The hydroelectric power station consist dam' should be 'consists of a dam'. There are also errors in tense and preposition usage, such as 'consist on' instead of 'consists of'. Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences are often faulty or contain errors in word order. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that prepositions are used correctly in technical descriptions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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