Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-17
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 illustrates how a hydroelectric power station generates electricity.
Overall, the river water is accumulated in a high level reservoir. The intake is opened at a day time and water is flowed to the reversible turbine which operates the generator in a power station. Generator produce the electricity and transmit it to the national grid.
The process begins with the river water being accumulated in a high level reservoir which is being blocked by a dam. The intake of water is opened at day time and closed at night. At day time, water is flowed to the reversible turbines which in turn operates the generator. Electricity is produced by generator and transmitted to national grid through power lines.
At night, water intake under the dam is closed and water is pumped to the high reservoir. Water is moved towards the low level reservoir at day time, whereas the water is pumped into the high level reservoir at night.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the hydroelectric power station diagram and making relevant comparisons between day and night operations. An overview is provided at the beginning, noting the accumulation of river water in the high-level reservoir. Key stages such as the intake opening during the day, the operation of the generator, transmission to the national grid, and the nighttime pumping process are all identified. However, there is some repetition in the body paragraphs (e.g., repeating details about water flowing to the turbines during the day and being pumped at night). Despite this mild redundancy, the core information is accurately captured and presented, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 6.5 or solid 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently with a clear overall progression from the introduction of the process to day and night operations. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, overview, and body details, though the structure could be tightened. Cohesive devices are generally basic (e.g., 'The process begins', 'At day time', 'At night'), and there is some mechanical repetition of time phrases ('At day time', 'at day time', 'At night'). Pronoun referencing and overall flow are mostly clear, but the logical progression suffers slightly from the repetitive phrasing in the final paragraphs. Cohesion is adequate for a Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a technical process, including terms like 'hydroelectric power station', 'high level reservoir', 'reversible turbines', 'generator', and 'national grid'. However, there are notable word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'accumulated' used where 'collected' or 'stored' is more natural, 'a day time' instead of 'daytime', 'flowed' instead of 'flow', and 'Generator produce' (missing article and plural agreement). Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision. Vocabulary control is typical of a Band 5.5 to 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('reservoir which is being blocked by a dam') and passive constructions ('water is pumped'). However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Generator produce'), incorrect passive/active forms ('water is flowed' instead of 'flows'), and article errors ('a day time', 'to national grid'). While these errors do not impede overall comprehension, they prevent the text from achieving a higher band. The grammar reflects a Band 5.5 performance.
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.