Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-24
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)
The diagram has illustrated the process of how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station. The process has involved many steps to generate the power.
The initial processing of generating electricity through hydroelectric power station starts with river flowing into a dam, in a high level reservoir. During the day time, the flow of water to generate the electricity directly goes into power station. The intake is usually open during the day and closed in night timings. In power station, the generator is installed, which is connected with the reversible turbines. These turbines operates generator in day time and during the night time, it pumps water back into the high-level reservoir. The generator is also connected to power lines that further supplies electricity to the national grid.
To sum up, hydroelectric power station are great source of creating electricity from natural resources i.e., water. It involves very few manpower and also much reliable source for creating renewable energy nationwide.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student has attempted to summarise the diagram illustrating the hydroelectric power station, mentioning key features such as the high-level reservoir, dam, intake, reversible turbines, generator, and national grid. However, there are notable omissions and inaccuracies regarding the dual-cycle nature of the process (day and night operations). The description of the night-time cycle is incomplete, as it fails to clearly explain the flow of water from the low-level reservoir back through the turbines to the high-level reservoir. Furthermore, the concluding paragraph includes personal opinions and outside knowledge ('hydroelectric power station are great source of creating electricity...'), which is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 response where personal evaluations must be avoided. Consequently, the task is only partially covered, placing it within Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text is organized into three paragraphs: an introduction, a body paragraph describing the process, and a concluding paragraph. While there is a basic attempt at logical sequencing, progression is hindered by awkward transitions and some repetitive phrasing. Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes inaccurately or mechanically, such as 'The initial processing of generating...' and 'To sum up'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the phrase 'These turbines operates generator in day time and during the night time, it pumps water back...' where pronoun agreement is faulty ('turbines' plural versus 'it' singular). Paragraphing is attempted, but the inclusion of an inappropriate summary conclusion affects the overall structural flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for conveying basic information, with appropriate subject-specific terms such as 'hydroelectric power station', 'reservoir', 'turbines', 'generator', and 'national grid'. However, the range is limited and repetitive, and there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors (e.g., 'river flowing into a dam, in a high level reservoir', 'night timings', 'great source of creating electricity', 'very few manpower'). Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical control is weak, preventing the student from achieving a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several noticeable grammatical errors throughout the response, such as subject-verb agreement errors ('The diagram has illustrated', 'These turbines operates'), missing articles ('in high level reservoir', 'in night timings', 'much reliable source'), and incorrect preposition usage. Although these errors do not completely obscure the overall meaning, they occur with high frequency and cause difficulty for the reader, which limits the score to Band 5.
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.