Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-11
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 here illustrates how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station. This power station helps the national grid to create electricity.
There is two types of reservoir. One is high level and another one is low level. High level reservoir collects water from the river flowing upwards. It has a dam in front of it that makes the reservoir mainly keep its water inside. However, there is a small intake which remains open at day and water flows from that intake to the downward which produce the electricity. Below there is a machine that works as a reversible turbines at day and after that water goes upward to the generator of the power station and being added to the power lines as electricity of national grid.
On contrary, a reverse process happens at night. From low reservoir, water flows to the upward through the power station machine that works like generator at night and pump water into high level reservoir. Consequently, at night , high level reservoir gets filled up again and next day, when the intake being open, water comes at a full force downwards to generate electricity.
Basically, the hydroelectric power station works like a two way processes. It produces electricity at daylight with full force of water from high reservoir whereas helps to fill up the high reservoir with low level's water at night. And these two processes are done by one single machine situated at the power station.
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 two-way nature of the system. However, the description of the process is occasionally inaccurate or confusing. For example, stating that water flows 'upwards' from the river into the high reservoir is factually incorrect based on standard hydroelectric diagrams, and the explanation of the turbine/generator function is somewhat muddled. While the key stages are identified, the lack of precision in describing the mechanical process prevents a higher score. The overview is present but could be more clearly integrated to highlight the cyclical nature of the system.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the daytime process to the nighttime process. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as 'On contrary' (should be 'In contrast') and 'Basically, the hydroelectric power station works like a two way processes'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring to the 'machine' and its dual function. While the overall arrangement is logical, the flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed, which impacts the clarity of the explanation.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the components (reservoir, dam, intake, turbine, generator). However, there is a lack of precision and some repetitive phrasing. For instance, 'flowing upwards' and 'goes upward' are used repeatedly, and the term 'full force' is somewhat informal for a technical description. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'intake being open' instead of 'intake is opened'. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise technical terminology and vary their descriptive language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('There is two types'), article usage ('to the downward'), and awkward phrasing ('water comes at a full force'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors is noticeable. The student should focus on basic sentence construction, particularly the correct use of articles and prepositions, to improve the accuracy of their writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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