Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-25
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 illustrates the generation of electricity through the process of a hydroelectric power station.
overall, the production od electricity involves four stages. The initial stage begins with the accumulation of river in high level reserviour dam and the final stage involves disperse of electricity from the national grid to various homes.
The initial stage and first stages involves the flow of river to tge high level reserviour dam which opens during the day and closes at night. The flow of water during the day and night are in opposite direction; the former flows in a forward direction to genertae electricity while the latter flows in backward direction during pumping activity.
The subsequent stage involves the flow of water to the power station which has a specialized machine known as the generator and has revetsible turbines which pumps water to the high level reserviour during the night and operates the generator during the day. In the final stage, the generator disperses electricity to the national grid theough the connected powerline.
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 attempts to summarise the process of a hydroelectric power station, mentioning key features such as the high-level reservoir, the intake, reversible turbines, the generator, power lines, and the national grid. However, there are notable inaccuracies in reading the diagram, such as stating that 'the production of electricity involves four stages' and describing the river as flowing into the reservoir in a way that conflates the natural water source with the dam mechanics. Furthermore, the distinction between day (generating electricity) and night (pumping water back) is mentioned but handled somewhat confusingly. The overview is overly simplistic ('overall, the production od electricity involves four stages'). While the main components are touched upon, the lack of precision in describing the cyclical nature of the day and night operations prevents the response from achieving a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview and body paragraphs. However, overall progression is hindered by awkward transitions and mechanical or faulty cohesive devices. For instance, the transition 'The initial stage and first stages involves...' is repetitive and clumsy. Pronoun referencing and linking words are sometimes inaccurate or awkward, such as 'the former flows in a forward direction... while the latter flows in backward direction'. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within paragraphs lacks the smooth flow expected at higher bands. The sequencing of the process is generally chronological, but the awkward phrasing affects the overall readability and cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that occasionally impede understanding or reveal carelessness. Examples include 'od' instead of 'of', 'reserviour' misspelled multiple times, 'tge' instead of 'the', 'genertae', 'revetsible', and 'theough'. There are attempts at less common vocabulary items such as 'accumulation', 'disperses', and 'specialized machine', but these are undermined by frequent inaccuracies in spelling and collocation. The range is minimally adequate for the task, but the density of mechanical errors keeps the lexical score constrained to a lower band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The initial stage and first stages involves the flow...', 'river... which opens... and closes'), missing articles ('in high level reserviour dam'), and incorrect prepositions or phrasing ('flow of river to tge high level reserviour dam'). Punctuation is also weak, evidenced by the lowercase start in 'overall'. While some sentences are comprehensible, the frequency of basic grammatical slips and awkward clause structures means that error-free sentences are not in the majority.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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