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 illustrates the process by which electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station.
Overall, the process is cyclical and consists of several stages. During the daytime, water flows from a high-level reservoir to the power station, where electricity is generated and transmitted to the national grid. At night, the water is pumped back to the upper reservoir so that it can be reused.
Firstly, water flows into the river. The water is then stored in a reservoir to generate electricity. Secondly, the river water is stored in a dam, where a high-level reservoir is created. Then, the dam releases the water to produce electricity during the daytime, before reaching the power station.
Following that, during the daytime, the reversible turbines pump water to generator through power lines and then transmitted to the national grid, where low-level reservoir is created. At night, the remaining water is pumped up into high-level reservoir.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides an overview of the process, but it fails to accurately describe the technical stages shown in the diagram. For instance, the statement 'turbines pump water to generator through power lines' is factually incorrect and demonstrates a misunderstanding of the mechanical process. The description of the water flow is confusing and lacks the necessary detail regarding the interaction between the high-level reservoir, the turbine, and the low-level reservoir. While the main features are mentioned, the lack of clarity and the inclusion of inaccurate information prevent the response from fully covering the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is often illogical or confusing. For example, the transition 'Following that, during the daytime, the reversible turbines pump water to generator' is disjointed and does not logically follow the previous paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'At night', but they are sometimes applied mechanically or to link ideas that do not make sense in the context of the diagram. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making the overall flow difficult to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for describing a technical process. Words like 'process', 'reservoir', and 'electricity' are used correctly, but there is a lack of more specific terminology related to hydroelectric power (e.g., 'intake', 'penstock', 'rotation'). There are also instances of awkward word choice, such as 'pump water to generator through power lines', which suggests a misunderstanding of the physical components. The range is limited, and the student relies on basic phrasing to describe complex mechanical actions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'where low-level reservoir is created' lacks the necessary article 'a'. The sentence 'the reversible turbines pump water to generator through power lines and then transmitted to the national grid' contains a faulty parallel structure and missing prepositions. While the meaning is generally discernible, the control over complex structures is inconsistent, and errors in articles and verb forms are noticeable throughout the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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