Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-14
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)
This is how the hydroelectric power station works.River and Dam both are connected to each other. Intake of water comes from the river.It is opened during the day time and closed during the night.High level reservoir comes from dam to increase flow of water during pumping to generate electricity during Day.By using the generator, power lines lead to the national grid.In Day, generator pump water into high level reservoir.In daytime, operating generator causes reversible turbines.Due to reversible turbines, flow of water increases to generate electricity.This diagram explains how the hydroelectric power workstation operates and work during the day and night time
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 response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 101 words. This severely limits the ability to fully cover all parts of the task. While the student attempts to describe the diagram by mentioning the river, dam, intake of water, generator, and reservoir, the information is presented in a fragmented, repetitive, and partially confused manner. For instance, the distinction between daytime and night-time processes is muddled, and the overall progression of how a hydroelectric power station operates is not comprehensively reported. Consequently, the response addresses the task only partially, leading to a Band 5.0 score for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text lacks proper paragraphing, presented instead as a single block of text with very short, disjointed sentences. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate or repetitive, such as the frequent, awkward use of 'In Day' or 'In daytime' at the beginning of successive sentences. There is no clear overall progression or logical structure guiding the reader smoothly through the stages of the hydroelectric process. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow the sequence of events. Based on these organizational and cohesive shortcomings, the response falls under Band 4.5, warranting a score of 5.0 when rounded to the nearest half-band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple words like 'water', 'generator', 'day', and 'dam'. There are limited attempts at less common lexical items, such as 'reversible turbines' and 'national grid', but these are overshadowed by lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'hydroelectric power workstation' and 'High level reservoir comes from dam'. Word choice is frequently imprecise. The vocabulary is adequate only for minimally communicating simple ideas, aligning closely with Band 5 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The text consists mostly of simple sentences alongside a few clumsy attempts at complex structures. There are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'River and Dam both are connected to each other', missing articles ('during Day', 'during the day time'), and capitalization issues ('In Day'). Punctuation is also problematic in places, with missing full stops or spacing errors. While some simple sentences are grammatically correct, the frequent errors and limited structural range place this response firmly in the Band 5 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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