Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-30
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)
According to this diagram, this whole scenario is actually a making of electricity in hydroelectric power station. Firstly, hydroelectricity mean the electricity is generate using water. In the beginning, there is a dam which holds great amount of water coming from river. Then there is down slope front of the dam which mean the speed of water is increased, and after this slope there is a power station established in which generator take place and a reversible turbines as well which operate generator in the day time, and in dark time, pump water into high-level reservoir. Eventually, day time the gates of the dam open and water goes down in descending way and moving forward to the powerstation in which the generator use this flow of water and generate electricity which goes in power lines and later on in national grid. In last, the water which contain relatively low amount in lower areas goes toward this power station generator which push water from assecending way towards the dam where high-level water reservoir take place.
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 main features of the hydroelectric power station diagram, including the dam, the high-level reservoir, the intake, the power station with reversible turbines and generator, and the low-level reservoir. However, the response lacks a clear overview, which is a key requirement for Academic Task 1. Furthermore, there are several inaccuracies and awkward interpretations of the visual data, such as claiming that 'water which contain relatively low amount in lower areas goes toward this power station generator which push water from assecending way'. This misinterprets the nighttime pumping mechanism where water is pumped back from the low-level reservoir to the high-level reservoir. Due to under-developed reporting and factual confusion regarding the cyclical process, the response falls into Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text suffers from a lack of proper paragraphing, presented instead as a single block of text. While the writer attempts to sequence the steps using basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In the beginning', 'Then', and 'Eventually', the overall logical progression becomes confused during the description of the nighttime cycle. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'which goes in power lines and later on in national grid. In last, the water...'. Because the text lacks paragraph structure and has mechanical, repetitive cohesive ties that fail to clearly organise the distinct daytime and nighttime phases, it warrants a Band 5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and heavily reliant on direct copying of terms from the prompt and diagram, such as 'hydroelectric power station', 'dam', 'river', 'generator', and 'reversible turbines'. There are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'a making of electricity', 'dark time' instead of 'nighttime', and 'descending way'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for conveying the basic topic, but frequent lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing restrict the score to Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures. Simple sentences dominate, and attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty, leading to run-on sentences and grammatical errors. Examples include 'hydroelectricity mean the electricity is generate using water', 'there is down slope front of the dam which mean the speed of water is increased', and subject-verb agreement issues like 'water which contain'. Punctuation is weak, with commas overused to link disparate clauses into one long stream. Frequent basic errors cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning with Band 5 descriptors.
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.