Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
he hydroelectric power station is responsible for generating electricity through water supply.
The systemic process works on the mechanism of hydropower that is consumed to generate electricity. The water flows all the way from river to dam as it has been created. The dam is constructed to manage water flow that is moved accordingly in times of day and night. The intake area is open at daytime while at night it is closed. The water flows from the reservoir to the power station where the reversible turbines works to operate generator with the assistance of power lines located there to the national grid for localized community. At night, the water is pumped in the opposite direction as a reversible process to pump water back to the location of upper level reservoir. However, at daytime, the water moving from the generator,] is entered into low level reservoir after working as a source of rotating turbines in powerstation to make electricity.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the hydroelectric power station process diagram, covering both daytime and night-time operations. However, the response lacks a clear, overarching overview statement, which is a key requirement for Academic Task 1. While the description mentions the river, dam, intake, power station, generators, and reservoirs, some details are slightly inaccurate or confusingly expressed, such as claiming that power lines are located inside the power station for the localized community. Furthermore, the progression of the steps is occasionally tangled, meaning the response only partially satisfies the requirement to present a clear, well-structured selection and reporting of main features.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text demonstrates some overall progression and attempts to trace the steps of the diagram from the river to the reservoirs. However, the paragraphing is extremely deficient, consisting of just one monolithic block of text. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes misused, such as the abrupt transitions using 'However, at daytime' and awkward referencing like 'the water moving from the generator,] is entered into low level reservoir'. The lack of paragraph breaks to separate the day and night cycles hinders the logical flow and readability of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the diagram, including terms like 'hydroelectric power station', 'reservoir', 'reversible turbines', and 'generator'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward collocations throughout the text, such as 'systemic process', 'water supply', and 'upper level reservoir' instead of high-level reservoir. Additionally, there are mechanical issues like punctuation errors and an orphaned bracket before 'is entered'. Vocabulary control is limited to basic and repetitive expressions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The water flows from the reservoir to the power station where the reversible turbines works to operate generator...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('turbines works', 'operate generator' missing an article), incorrect prepositions ('at times of day and night'), and run-on structures. Punctuation is also flawed, with a stray bracket present near the end of the text. These errors occasionally cause slight confusion for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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