Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-01
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 5.5)
The diagram demonstrates the process of hydroeclectric power station. The process include various steps which illustrates, how hygroelectric power station works.
Overall, it is evident that the process include the series of interconnected steps. The process starts with river and ends at electricity generation.
The process begins with the water flowing from the river , which falls into the high level resevoir.Thereafter, in front of river , the dam is constructed. Additionally, the gates of dam are open in day and closed at night . Secondly, the water flows into the pipe during day to a power station.
Furthermore, a power station contains a generator , which is further linked to reversible turbines in power station itself . The electricity generator contains power lines , which forms a national grid . Meanwhile, reversible turbines that are attached to the generator,flows the water into low level resevoir during day hours .
On the other hand, the water flows back towards the power station at night. In the penultimate stage, the water flows back to the dam by the process called pumping . The process concludes with the pumping of the water .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by attempting to summarise the process of electricity generation in a hydroelectric power station, selecting main features and making some comparisons between day and night operations. For instance, the student notes that the dam gates are open during the day and closed at night. However, certain parts of the response are under-developed or unclear, such as the confusion regarding the location of the generator and reversible turbines ('linked to reversible turbines in power station itself'), and the repetitive conclusion which does not fully capture the cyclical nature of the day and night process. Consequently, while the key stages are outlined, the lack of full clarity in reporting some mechanical relationships keeps the task achievement at this level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible logical progression from the river to the final electricity generation and pumping cycle. The student attempts to structure the essay into an introduction, body details, and a conclusion using basic cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'The process begins with', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand'. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'which forms a national grid' or the abrupt transitions between sentences in the middle paragraph. Paragraphing is used, but the internal flow within paragraphs lacks smooth management, reflecting the characteristics of this band level.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic process steps, using terms like 'reservoir', 'generator', 'turbines', and 'pumping'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that detract from the quality, such as 'hydroeclectric', 'hygroelectric', 'resevoir', and awkward phrases like 'flows the water into'. The student attempts less common vocabulary, but frequent spelling slips and imprecise collocations (e.g., 'the electricity generator contains power lines') indicate limited lexical control and prevent the writing from achieving a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response employs a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses ('which illustrates, how hygroelectric power station works'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including incorrect comma placements, missing articles ('from river', 'to high level resevoir'), and preposition errors ('in front of river', 'at day'). Although these errors are present, they rarely impede overall communication. The range of structures remains somewhat limited, and the frequency of grammatical inaccuracies across basic patterns keeps the writing firmly within this band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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