Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-05
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 4.5)
On the beginin, hydroelectric power station was at the end of the corner, there had a generator that power lines are national grid and coming straight from the generator we had a reversible turbines but in a day time the flow of water to generates the electricity operates the low level resrviours as well during the night time pump water flows to the high level reservoir. In addition the intake of the dam is open during day time and closed at night for safety purpose.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 85 words. Consequently, the task is addressed only minimally and tangentially. While the student attempts to describe parts of the hydroelectric power station, such as the intake being open during the day and closed at night, the selection of information is disjointed and fails to provide a clear or complete summary of the overall process. Key features, such as the complete cycle of water generation and pumping between the high-level and low-level reservoirs through the reversible turbines and generator, are poorly explained and difficult to follow. To reach higher bands, the writer must ensure the word count requirement is fulfilled and provide a fully developed overview that clearly outlines all main stages of the diagram.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
Information and ideas are not arranged coherently in this response. The text is written as a single, dense block lacking proper paragraphing, and the logical progression of the process is disrupted. Instead of following a clear sequence from the river and reservoirs through the turbines and power lines to the national grid, the description jumps randomly between different parts of the diagram, such as starting with the end of the process. Cohesive devices are minimal and misused, with phrases like 'On the beginin' and 'there had a generator' failing to link ideas smoothly. To improve, the writer needs to group related information into distinct paragraphs and establish a clear, logical sequence that guides the reader through the stages of the diagram.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic, repetitive, and restricted in range. There are noticeable errors in word choice, word form, and spelling that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, such as 'beginin' instead of beginning, 'resrviours' instead of reservoirs, and 'generates' instead of generate. The response relies heavily on simple terms and direct translation of labels from the prompt without demonstrating an ability to paraphrase effectively. To achieve a higher band, the writer must expand their vocabulary range, use less common technical terms accurately to describe industrial processes, and carefully check their spelling and word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The grammatical range is very limited, consisting predominantly of faulty or awkward sentence structures. Errors are frequent and often distort meaning, making it difficult for the reader to fully comprehend the intended mechanics of the power station. Examples of structural and grammatical errors include 'On the beginin', 'there had a generator that power lines are national grid', and 'during the night time pump water flows'. There is poor control over prepositions, articles, and verb tenses within complex clauses. To improve, the writer needs to practice basic sentence construction, ensure correct subject-verb agreement, and reduce the frequency of errors by using simpler, accurate structures before attempting complex ones.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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