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 below illustrates the stages of production of electricity within a hydroelectric power station.
Overall, river is the principle means of generation of energy. The process depends on the intervals during the day and the night. We can observe that the reversible turbines pump water up into the reservoir whilst during the day water is operated by the generator.
To be specific, the initial stages involve the flow of water through the reservoir which consists of a dam that closes at night and is opened during the day intervals. The water after during day is used for the production of electricity it is followed by the power station which consists of a generator and turbines. The water enters the power station and passes through the turbines and then through the generator followed by power lines. The water enters the
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response is under-length, containing only 140 words compared to the required 150-word minimum, which impacts Task Achievement. The student attempts to summarise the overall process, noting the role of day and night cycles and the reversible turbines. However, the description of the individual stages is incomplete and truncated abruptly at the end ('The water enters the'). Important mechanical details such as the low-level reservoir, power lines, and national grid are omitted or underdeveloped. Consequently, the response addresses the task only partially.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has an introduction and a brief overview, but the paragraphing is underdeveloped due to the premature ending of the text. Cohesive devices are attempted ('To be specific', 'whilst during the day'), but referencing is occasionally unclear or clumsy, such as 'the water after during day'. The overall progression of the process breaks down in the second paragraph, where sentences become fragmented and incomplete, leading to a lack of clear logical organisation.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for a basic description of the diagram, featuring terms like 'hydroelectric power station', 'reversible turbines', and 'generator'. However, there is a lack of sophisticated or less common lexical items. Furthermore, there are noticeable word choice errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'river is the principle means' (spelling error: principal) and 'water is operated by the generator'. These limitations restrict the lexical score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and temporal markers ('whilst during the day water is operated by the generator'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with several errors including missing articles ('river is the principle means'), awkward passive structures, and dangling modifiers. The response ends mid-sentence, reflecting poor control over extended sentence construction. Errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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