Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-29

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 given map is illustrate how electricity is produced in a hydroelectric power hub. Overall, It can be seen that how electricity is generated initially from the water of river to transfer the electricity to national grid through power lines in day. By contrast, In night the water is flow back to the high-level reservoir.

Now, turning into details, Initially, In day the water came from river pass through dam. After that, the flow of water to generate electricity goes to power station. Wherease, The reversible turbines operate generator to produce electricity which transfer electricity to the national grid through power lines. On contrast, In night from low-level reservoir the reversible turbine pump water flow back into high-level reservoir. In map, the flow of water by pumping in night and then water flow back to the high-level reservoir. Wherease, The intake of water is closed in night which opened in day for again same process to produce electricity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully identifies the main features of the hydroelectric power generation process, including the distinction between daytime electricity production and nighttime water pumping. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision in technical terminology. While the overview is present, it is slightly clunky in its phrasing. The response covers all parts of the task, but the development of the process description could be more fluid and analytical. To improve, focus on grouping the stages of the process more logically rather than simply listing them, and ensure that the distinction between the high-level and low-level reservoirs is clearly maintained throughout the explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into two paragraphs, which is appropriate for this task. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For example, the transition 'Wherease' is used incorrectly to introduce a new sentence, and the phrase 'In map' is an unnatural way to refer to the diagram. While there is a logical progression from the daytime process to the nighttime process, the internal cohesion within sentences is frequently disrupted by awkward phrasing and punctuation errors, which makes the flow of information feel somewhat disjointed at times.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. There is a reliance on simple verbs like 'produced', 'come', and 'flow'. Some word choices are imprecise or incorrect, such as 'power hub' instead of 'power station' or 'power plant', and the misuse of 'Wherease' (whereas). The student attempts to use technical terms like 'reversible turbines' and 'national grid', which is positive, but the overall range is limited. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise vocabulary related to mechanical processes, such as 'facilitates', 'converts', 'circulates', or 'harnesses'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the water is flow back'), tense usage (e.g., 'water came from river pass'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper articles, such as 'In map' instead of 'In the diagram'. While there is an attempt to use complex structures, these are often faulty. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that verbs are correctly conjugated and that articles are used appropriately before nouns.

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

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