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)
Hydroelectric power is a type of renewable energy. The process of generating power from a hydroelectric powerstation is quite complicated
At first the water is stored behind the reservoir with the help of a dam. The dam gates are closed at night time. The water flows from the high level resevoir to the turbine chamber where it rotates the propellor with the pressure of the water, and the generator generates electricty which is then electricuted to the national grid through the power lines.
The turbines are reversible at night they pump water from the low level resevoir towards the high level reservoir through the same tunnel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The response is significantly under-length, containing only 106 words against the required 150 words. Because of this severe under-length penalty, the task cannot be fully developed. However, the student does manage to identify some of the main features of the diagram, such as the high-level and low-level reservoirs, the dam, the intake gates, and the reversible turbines used at night. The explanation captures the dual-phase nature of the process (day generation and night pumping), but the omission of several key details and the failure to meet the minimum word count restricts the score to Band 4.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response attempts to present a logical sequence of stages from water storage to electricity generation and nighttime pumping. However, the paragraphing is extremely weak, with almost the entire body compressed into a single block of text following a two-sentence introduction. Cohesive devices are very basic or missing entirely, relying on simple sequencing like 'At first' and 'then'. There is a lack of smooth transitions between the daytime generation phase and the nighttime pumping phase, making the overall structure feel choppy and disjointed.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and contains noticeable spelling and word-choice errors. Words like 'resevoir' (reservoir), 'electricty' (electricity), and 'propellor' (propeller) are misspelled. Furthermore, the student uses the incorrect verb 'electricuted' instead of 'transmitted' or 'distributed' when describing how power reaches the national grid. While there are some appropriate topic-specific terms like 'renewable energy', 'turbines', and 'generator', the limited range and frequent lexical inaccuracies constrain the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There is a notable run-on sentence in the second paragraph ('...the generator generates electricty which is then electricuted to the national grid through the power lines') which lacks necessary punctuation. Punctuation is generally sparse, with missing commas after introductory phrases and incorrect separation of independent clauses. Grammatical errors, combined with spelling issues, occur frequently enough to occasionally strain the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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