Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-03

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 following diagram illustrates the process of generating of electricity in hydroelectric power station. At the left higher point there is river which backdoor entry the water into the dam . In the mid of dam there is massive reservoir which accumulate water in day time duration . subsequently dam transfer the water to power generator which produce electricity with the assistance of generator , furthermore powerlines dispatch electricity to the national grid eventually there is production of electricity with the aid of turbines .

observing the night operation there is inverse method the turbines shift water into higher level due to minor requirement of electricity production. higher level of water reservation are close at night era , ending up night era there is less essential requirement of electricity as it gets completed within the day time.

getting overall takeaway from diagram it disclose that the powerplant produced more electric energy at day and short at night due to the requisite of consumer.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially, attempting to describe the main stages of the hydroelectric power station diagram. However, the explanation of the process contains inaccuracies and misreadings of the visual data. For instance, the writer states that there is a river 'backdoor entry the water into the dam' and describes the intake and reservoir locations in a confusing manner. While there is an attempt to outline both day and night operations, the details lack clarity and precision. The overview at the end attempts to summarise the main trend, but overall, the ideas remain limited and under-developed, preventing the response from reaching a higher level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation evident through the use of sequencing words such as 'subsequently', 'furthermore', and 'eventually', but there is no clear overall progression throughout the text. Paragraphing is attempted by separating day and night operations, but the transitions between sentences feel mechanical and disjointed. Referencing is frequently unclear, and cohesive devices are sometimes used inaccurately, which disrupts the logical flow of information. The relationship between the reservoir, turbines, and the national grid is tangled, making it difficult for the reader to follow the sequential stages of the process smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task. The writer relies on basic terminology and awkward phrasing, such as 'backdoor entry', 'higher level of water reservation', and 'night era', which reveal significant issues with word choice and collocation. There are noticeable lexical errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader in grasping the intended meaning. While the writer attempts to use some less common words like 'accumulate' and 'dispatch', improper collocations and awkward word forms restrict the lexical range to a lower band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple or poorly linked clauses. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to run-on sentences and a lack of proper punctuation, such as missing capital letters and periods. There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('a river', 'in day time duration'), incorrect prepositional use, and awkward verb forms like 'the powerplant produced more electric energy at day and short at night'. These persistent errors cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and reflect a weak control over basic sentence mechanics.

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