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 illustrates the process of generating electricity from a hydroelectric power station.

Overall,the process consists of many different stage of electricity generation, begining with river water to high-level resorvoir and ending with electricity generation.

initally, River water flowing from top level is stored with help of damn. next, water flow through intake which is opened during day and closed at night . Furthermore, when water passes through the intake it goes into downard slope where structure is narrow to creat water pressure. The direction of water flow is one of the vital role here. downward water flow generate electricity during day but during night water is pumped upward. resultantly, the water rotates turbines located in powerstation generator .turbines used here is reversible which works to generate electricity during day time but at night it is uded to pump water into high-level reservoir. Subsequently, power generated by generator will go through power lines to the national grid.

finally, hydro electricity is obtained in a hydroelectric power station and provides electricity to the national grid.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main features of the hydroelectric power station diagram, including the day and night cycles. However, some aspects are more fully covered than others, leading to under-developed or repetitive ideas. For instance, the transition of water through the intake and the dual functioning of the reversible turbines are mentioned, but the explanation lacks sufficient extension and precise reporting of the cyclical nature between the high-level and low-level reservoirs. The overview attempts to summarise the process, but contains vague language ("many different stage"). To reach a higher level, the student needs to present a clearer, more fully extended overview of the entire dual-phase operation without relying on repetitive descriptive phrases at the end of the text.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the process logically from the river intake down to the national grid. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty and mechanical, relying on basic or inappropriate connectors such as "initally", "next", and "finally" with irregular capitalization and punctuation. Paragraphing is attempted by breaking the text into an introduction, overview, and body sections, but the grouping of sentences lacks smooth progression. Referencing and referencing devices are occasionally unclear, particularly when shifting between the daytime generation and nighttime pumping phases, which disrupts the logical flow between steps.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to the diagram such as "hydroelectric power station", "reversible turbines", and "national grid". However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the response, including "resorvoir" instead of reservoir, "damn" instead of dam, "initally", "downard", "creat", and "uded". Furthermore, collocation and word forms are occasionally imprecise, such as "different stage" instead of stages and "one of the vital role" instead of a vital role. These lexical inaccuracies reflect a limited control over word formation and spelling, though communication is generally maintained.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the relative clause in "turbines used here is reversible which works to..." and subordinate clauses using "when water passes through". However, there are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and agreement that hinder accuracy. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ("turbines... is", "water flow... generate"), missing articles ("with help of damn", "into downard slope"), and erratic capitalization (starting sentences or words with lowercase letters like "Overall,the" and "initally"). Punctuation is also poorly managed around conjunctions and clauses. To improve, the student must exercise greater control over basic grammatical structures and punctuation rules.

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