Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-09
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 illustration gives information about generating electricity in a power station. Overall, the same amount of water use in day and then in night to generate electricity using the speed of the water, and power is stored in the national grid at all times.
It is quite evident from the diagram that the overview of a hydroelectric power station and shows the process step by step. At the beginning, the river water is stored through a dam, and the level of the river water gets higher, the intake is open during the day, but at night it's closed. At the day the water flows generate electricity by spinning turbines, and then the pump bust waster to the next low-level reservoir.
Furthermore, turbines get spinning from the water and the generator makes electricity and then flows into the lines and is stored in the national grid. But at night time the low-level reservoir's gate opened; the water flows back to spin the turbines and generate power, as same in the day and then the water is pumped to the high-level reservoir.
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. You have identified the key stages, such as the dam, the turbines, and the national grid. However, the explanation of the cycle is slightly confusing, particularly the description of the 'pump bust waster' (likely a typo for 'pump water') and the mechanics of the night-time cycle. To reach a higher band, ensure that the technical process is described with greater clarity and precision. The overview provided in the introduction is a good start, but it could be more clearly linked to the specific stages of the diagram to better highlight the cyclical nature of the system.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. You use some cohesive devices like 'At the beginning', 'Furthermore', and 'but at night'. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'as same in the day', which makes the comparison between the day and night cycles difficult to follow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to previous nouns would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and spelling errors that hinder clarity. For example, 'pump bust waster' is unclear and likely a misspelling of 'pumps water'. Additionally, phrases like 'the level of the river water gets higher' could be expressed more professionally using terms like 'accumulates' or 'rises'. While you demonstrate an attempt to use process-related vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and the errors in word formation occasionally distract the reader from the technical content of the diagram.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the same amount of water use' should be 'is used'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'at the day' should be 'during the day'). While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the process, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the response. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like verb tense and prepositions will help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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