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 picture represents the process of generating electricity from water, in a hydroelectric power station.
Overall, there are many steps involved in the process if power generation. A large system of machinery is built for this procedure.
This operation is reversible process. At first, water from the river goes to high level reservoir and finally reaches to the dam which is opened at day time and closed at night. Then the water travels through a pipe and reaches to reversible turbines to generate electricity. In mornings those turbines acts as a operate generator to produce power, the generated electricity is sent to national grid from power station with the help of power lines. Then the water in turbines is flushed out to low level reservoir.
Whereas, at night time the whole process is reversed. Now the turbines acts as pumps to pump water from low reservoir to high level reservoir, and the water starts travelling in opposite direction. As mentioned the dams will be closed in night time so the water travels back to again.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the hydroelectric power station process, including the dual-function nature of the turbines. However, the description is somewhat imprecise; for example, stating the dam is 'opened at day time and closed at night' is a simplification that lacks the technical nuance expected in an Academic Task 1 report. While the key stages are identified, the comparison between the generation phase and the pumping phase could be more clearly structured to highlight the cyclical nature of the system. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to provide a clearer summary of the entire process.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the transition 'Whereas, at night time the whole process is reversed.' Additionally, some sentences lack logical flow, particularly in the final paragraph where the explanation of the dam closing is repetitive and unclear. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the different stages of the cycle could be improved to ensure a smoother transition between the generation and pumping phases.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'hydroelectric power station', 'reversible turbines', and 'national grid'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'acts as a operate generator' and 'flushed out to low level reservoir'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the range and precision of the writing. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more sophisticated collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing like 'high level reservoir' and 'low level reservoir' by using more varied descriptive language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('turbines acts as a operate generator') and awkward phrasing ('reaches to the dam', 'travels back to again'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some missing articles and prepositional errors throughout the text. While the meaning is usually clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent verb forms and correct preposition usage would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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