Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-16

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 4.0)

The diagram illustrate how the electricity can be generated in a hydroelectric power station. Water are the big source to produce the electricity. In the diagram a dam can be made into the river . They collect the high level reservoir to the dam . They intake a day and closed to then night . In the day the flow of the water to generate the electricity . during the night the flow of water pumping in night. The humans can make the system to produce electricity they also make the big machines into the river and they can produce electricity in all the time . In the night water pump into high level reservoir . In the day the power station can generate the electricity with the help of the generator . They give the electricity to the power lines an the national grid . In the day the low level reservoir can be work low . In this process the electricity can be generate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to describe the hydroelectric power station diagram, but it falls short in several areas. While it mentions key components like the dam, reservoir, generator, and power lines, the overview is weak, and the description of the day and night cycle is confused and repetitive. For example, phrases like 'They intake a day and closed to then night' fail to accurately report the process stages shown in the visual data. Furthermore, the student includes personal commentary and inaccurate assertions, such as 'The humans can make the system to produce electricity', which are inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. Overall, the information is only partially reported, earning a band score of 4.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The text lacks clear overall progression and logical organisation. There are no proper paragraphs; the response is presented as a single dense block of sentences. Cohesive devices are either missing or misused, resulting in a choppy and disjointed reading experience. For instance, transitional phrases between sentences are largely absent, and referencing is frequently unclear, as seen in repetitive uses of vague pronouns like 'They' and 'It'. While individual sentences attempt to connect to the general topic, the lack of paragraphing and poor mechanical cohesion prevent the ideas from flowing logically. This corresponds to a band score of 4.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The lexical range is very basic and repetitive, frequently relying on everyday words rather than precise scientific or technical vocabulary relevant to the diagram. The student uses terms incorrectly, such as 'Water are the big source' and 'the low level reservoir can be work low'. There are noticeable word-choice errors and awkward collocations that cause some difficulty for the reader, such as 'flow of water pumping in night'. Although some subject-specific vocabulary is attempted (e.g., 'generator', 'reservoir', 'national grid'), the overall vocabulary control is limited and inadequate for a higher band. This performance aligns with a band score of 4.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences that are often poorly constructed. There are frequent and intrusive grammatical errors throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Water are the big source'), incorrect prepositions ('into the river'), and missing verbs or awkward phrasing ('the flow of the water to generate the electricity'). Complex sentence structures are either absent or attempted with severe faults that occasionally distort meaning. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are also weak. These frequent errors place the grammar score at a band 4.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.