Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-13
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 5.0)
The diagram illustrates the whole procedure how to produce electricity using a hydroelectric power station.
Overall, it is quite apparent to notice that the process involves several stages, beginning with river and ending with national grid.
In detailed view, in the first stage dam open the high level reservoir in the day for intake water and closed at night. Then start the electricity generate at day time by the flow of water in the forward way with the help of reservoir before follow the reverse process at night with pumping system.
Probing further, with the progression of water further reversible turbines are added which not only generate electricity during day time but also pump water into high-level reservoir with the assistance of generator. Then, electricity passes through power lines and supply it to whole national grid. Finally, this process occurred again again for producing electricity.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the diagram showing how a hydroelectric power station generates electricity, covering the main stages from the river and reservoir to the national grid and the reverse pumping process at night. However, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement, containing only 145 words, which incurs a penalty on Task Achievement. Furthermore, some details are unclear or inaccurately described, such as 'dam open the high level reservoir in the day for intake water and closed at night'. The overview is somewhat basic. Because the task is only partially addressed due to the length shortfall and some under-developed or imprecise descriptions of the visual data, a band score of 5.0 is appropriate.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized into brief paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by body details. However, the overall progression is heavily hindered by awkward transitions and confusing sentence linking. Phrases like 'In detailed view' and 'Probing further' are misused. Cohesive devices are either repetitive or inadequate, making the logical flow difficult to follow at times. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as 'before follow the reverse process at night with pumping system'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal cohesion of sentences and paragraphs requires significant improvement. These issues align closely with the Band 5 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses a limited and repetitive range of vocabulary suited to the task, including basic terms like 'water', 'electricity', 'day time', and 'night'. There are notable word choice and collocation errors throughout the response, such as 'procedure how to produce', 'intake water', and 'electricity generate at day time'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary or technical terms from the diagram are flawed, leading to unnatural phrasing like 'reversible turbines' used incorrectly in context or awkward prepositional phrases. Spelling and word formation errors also appear, such as 'again again'. The lexical range is minimally adequate for communicating the basic topic, but frequent errors place this in the Band 5 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and missing auxiliary verbs, such as 'dam open', 'electricity generate', and 'this process occurred again again'. Punctuation and word order are also problematic in sentences like 'Overall, it is quite apparent to notice that the process involves several stages, beginning with river and ending with national grid.' These persistent errors cause frequent difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from reaching a higher band level, making a score of 5.0 a fair evaluation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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