Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
This picture given above shows a hydroelectric power station. and we have to describe the main features of the main components of power station and also have to make the comparison between the functioning of power station in day and night.
Dam is a wall which stores water as a reservoir and it protects the surroundings by storing all the water . This stored water holds the potential energy and to convert this energy into kinetic energy, there is also a turbine ahead of the dam to this work. In the day, the water is released from the dam and it flows from upside to downside to the turbine and due to water pressure the turbine moves and generator produces electricity which is then transported to the grid stations from power lines. and the water after turning the turbine is stored in another place and in the night the water then again pumped from this storage area again to the dam and thats how the hydroelectric power station works.
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 makes a clear attempt to describe the hydroelectric power station process, covering both day and night cycles. However, the tone and format are informal and conversational, containing meta-commentary such as 'and we have to describe...'. The summary fails to present a well-structured overview of the entire process from start to finish, instead diving immediately into a description of the dam and turbine mechanics. While key features like day generation and night pumping are mentioned, the lack of an introductory overview and the inclusion of conversational preamble prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text suffers from poor paragraphing, consisting largely of a single dense block following the introductory sentence. There is a heavy reliance on repetitive coordinating conjunctions like 'and' to chain clauses together, creating run-on sentences such as '...and in the night the water then again pumped from this storage area again to the dam and thats how the hydroelectric power station works.' While the chronological sequence of the day and night cycle is generally followed, the overall logical progression and cohesive management require better division into distinct stages or paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is quite basic and repetitive ('water', 'dam', 'power station', 'day', 'night'). There are noticeable lexical inaccuracies, such as 'upside to downside' instead of 'from top to bottom' or 'downward'. The student attempts some subject-specific terminology like 'potential energy', 'kinetic energy', and 'generator', but overall range is limited. Word choice and phrasing lack the formal, objective register expected in an Academic Task 1 response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The grammatical range is limited, relying heavily on simple and compound sentences joined by coordinating conjunctions. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'there is also a turbine ahead of the dam to this work' (missing verb/infinitive error) and 'the water then again pumped' (missing auxiliary verb 'is'). Punctuation is also problematic, evidenced by lowercase starts after periods and run-on phrasing. Complex structures are attempted but lack accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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