Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-03

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 below illustrate how we can use natural water resourse to generate electricity in a hydroelectric power station.

In the overview of diagram water coming from a river resorted in a dam then flow of water to the powe station to the natonal grid. All this process occurred in day time furthermore all this process closed at night.

Water from the river reservoir in high level in the dam, the Intake of water from the dam open in day time and closed at night.Water flow to the power station where there is a gerenator it has Reversible turbines which operate generator at day light and at night it work as pumping water into high-level reservoir.

When poer in generated by the generator then through the power lines it distributed to the national grid where we can all use this electricity where the other hand low level reservoired by reversible turbines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the hydroelectric power station process, such as the reservoir, turbines, and the national grid. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, cohesive overview of the cycle. The explanation of the day/night cycle is a key feature, but the description of the mechanics is slightly confusing, particularly regarding how the reversible turbines function. To reach a higher band, ensure that the relationship between the high-level and low-level reservoirs is explained more clearly and that the summary highlights the cyclical nature of the process more effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes awkward, such as 'In the overview of diagram' and 'where the other hand'. The progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed, making it difficult to follow the sequence of events clearly. The transition between the day-time generation and the night-time pumping process needs to be smoother to improve the flow of information. Using a wider range of linking words would help connect the sentences more logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision. There are several spelling errors, such as 'resourse', 'powe', 'natonal', 'gerenator', and 'poer', which distract the reader. While the student attempts to use technical terms like 'reversible turbines' and 'reservoir', the overall range is limited. To improve, the student should focus on accurate spelling and using more precise verbs to describe the movement of water and the generation of electricity, rather than relying on repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The diagram below illustrate', 'it work as pumping'), missing articles, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'Water from the river reservoir in high level in the dam'). These errors are frequent and occasionally impede the clarity of the technical process being described. A greater focus on basic sentence structure and proofreading for grammatical consistency is necessary to improve the score.

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.