Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-18

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 7.5)

The processing diagram shows the propertion of how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station in Day and Night.

Overall, water is sstored in a High-level reservoir and flows through the power station to generate elecrtricity during the day. At night, the process is reversed, and water is pumped back to the high-llevel reservoir for reuse.

During the day, water from the high-level reservoir passes through an intake and flows downhill through a pipe towards the power station. As the water moves through the reversible turbines, they generate electricity. The electricity is then transferred from the generator to the national grid. At the same time, the water is discharged into the low-level reservoir.

At night, the intake from the high-level reservoir is closed.Instead, water from the low-level reservoir flows in the opposite direction through the reversible turbines. The turbines operate in reverse and pump the water back up to the high-level reservoir. In this way, the water is stored again and cn be used to generate electricity during the following day.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear and comprehensive overview of the hydroelectric power generation process. The main features, including the diurnal cycle of day generation and night pumping, are accurately reported. The description follows the sequential steps of the diagram logically, from the high-level reservoir through the intake, turbines, and generator to the national grid, as well as the reverse cycle involving the low-level reservoir. There are no significant omissions or misreadings of the visual data, and comparisons between the day and night phases are well integrated. The response meets the core requirements of Academic Task 1 effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is well-organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory overview paragraph followed by distinct paragraphs detailing the daytime process and the nighttime process. Cohesive devices such as 'During the day', 'At the same time', and 'At night' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the temporal stages of the cycle. Paragraphing is logical, separating the general summary from the specific mechanisms of day and night operations. Referencing between sentences and pronouns is generally clear, contributing to a smooth flow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms such as 'reversible turbines', 'national grid', 'discharged', and 'pumped back'. However, there are a few noticeable spelling errors ('propertion', 'sstored', 'elecrtricity', 'hhigh-llevel') and minor lexical inaccuracies (such as referring to the diagram as a 'processing diagram' rather than a 'process diagram'). Despite these slips, the vocabulary used is adequate to convey the technical steps of the process clearly without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional and temporal clauses ('As the water moves through the reversible turbines, they generate electricity'). Grammatical control is generally good, and the majority of sentences are accurate. Minor punctuation and spacing errors occur, such as a missing space after a period ('closed.Instead'), but these do not impede overall communication. Complex structures are handled with reasonable competence, supporting a clear presentation of the sequential data.

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