Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-28
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 shows the method of generation of electricity in a hydroelectric power station. I will summarise the given information in the further paragraphs.
The main functions are river, dam, generator and national grid which plays important role in the production of electricity in a hydroelectric power station.
Firstly, the river flows towards the dam where is a high level reservior and the intake of water through dam allows only day time and the night time the dam is closed. Through dam, the water flows towards the power station and it operate generator during day time and it pumps water into high level reservior in night time. Through power station, the water flows towards the power lines and then into national grid. The reversible turbines move water towards the low level reservior.
In night time, water pulls upward with the help of reversible turbines and the water again goes in high level reservior and the process repeats again and again for the production of electricity.
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 candidate attempts to describe the hydroelectric power station diagram, meeting the word count requirement with 165 words. However, the response falls short of higher bands due to structural and content issues. The introductory sentence includes an unnecessary personal statement ('I will summarise...'), which is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1. The overview is weak, listing features rather than presenting a clear summary of the overall cyclical process. Furthermore, there are significant inaccuracies in describing the process, such as stating that 'water flows towards the power lines and then into national grid' and that 'The reversible turbines move water towards the low level reservior' without capturing the dual day and night operational cycle clearly. Key elements like the cyclical nature between the high-level and low-level reservoirs are muddled. Overall, the response addresses the task only partially, corresponding to a Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text is divided into paragraphs, but the organization and progression of ideas lack clarity. The second paragraph begins abruptly with 'The main functions are...', and cohesive devices are frequently mechanical or misused (e.g., repeating 'Through dam' and 'Through power station'). Reference words are sometimes unclear, as seen in the sentence 'the intake of water through dam allows only day time and the night time the dam is closed.' There is an attempt to use sequencing markers like 'Firstly', but the overall logical flow is disrupted by confusing spatial relationships between the reservoirs, turbines, and national grid. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal logical development of ideas is limited, fitting the Band 5 descriptor.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with several spelling errors ('reservior' instead of 'reservoir', 'operate' instead of 'operates'). The student relies heavily on words provided in the prompt (e.g., river, dam, generator, national grid, power station, reversible turbines). There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but word choice and collocation are frequently awkward or inaccurate, such as 'the intake of water through dam allows only day time' and 'water pulls upward'. The lexical range is minimally adequate for the task, but noticeable errors and limited flexibility place it at a Band 5 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('which plays important role' instead of 'which play an important role'), missing articles ('where is a high level reservior'), and awkward prepositional phrases ('in night time' instead of 'at night'). Punctuation and sentence boundaries are occasionally problematic, leading to run-on structures or disjointed clauses. While some sentences are understandable, errors occur with high frequency and can cause difficulty for the reader, aligning with Band 5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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