Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In given diagram the process of electricity generation by hydroelectric power station have shown.

There is dam built at the end of river which store large amount of water and known as high level reservoir. During the day high level water reservoir path open from which the water flows from the bottom part of dam and reaches to power station which bulit at the lower level than the dam.

When water flow from above level to lower level it meets reversible turbines of generator.

Due to high pressure of water turbines start moving and in the result electricity produce and generator have connected with power lines and power lines further connected to national grid.

After the power station, there is another water storage which is known as low level water reservoir.During the day high level water reservoir intake remain open and water flow towards low level reservoir and at night low level reservoir water produce electricity and reversible turbines pump water toward high level reservoir.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main features of the hydroelectric power station diagram, covering both the daytime generation stage and the nighttime pumping cycle. However, the explanation remains somewhat limited and contains minor mechanical misinterpretations of the process, such as stating that water flows towards the low-level reservoir at night to produce electricity, whereas the diagram shows daytime generation and nighttime pumping. The overview is partially integrated, but some ideas are under-developed or lack precise connection. To reach a higher level, the response needs to more accurately and fully report all steps of the diagram without inaccuracies in the sequential relationship of day and night cycles.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall arrangement, attempting to progress chronologically from the river and high-level reservoir through to the power station and low-level reservoir. However, the progression lacks clarity due to poor paragraphing—the entire body of the response is crammed into two dense paragraphs—and mechanical or inadequate cohesive devices. Referencing between sentences is occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun use referring back to the water and reservoirs. To improve coherence and cohesion, the text should be organized into logical paragraphs (such as separating the day generation cycle from the night pumping cycle) and make use of a wider, more accurate range of cohesive markers to guide the reader smoothly through the process.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully employing process-related terms like "reservoir," "turbines," "generator," and "national grid." However, the range is limited, and there are noticeable errors in word choice, word form, and missing articles, such as "high level water reservoir path open" instead of open pathways or valves, and "electricity produce" instead of electricity is produced. While these vocabulary and spelling slips do not entirely impede communication, they restrict the lexical score. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to incorporate a wider variety of less common technical and descriptive collocations with greater precision and control over word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is weak throughout the text. There are frequent errors in verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and missing articles and prepositions, such as "In given diagram the process... have shown" instead of 'is shown', and "There is dam built" instead of 'There is a dam built'. Attempts at complex structures are often faulty, and punctuation is frequently neglected. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a limited command of grammatical structures. To improve, the student must focus on foundational accuracy, ensuring correct auxiliary verbs, passive voice constructions, and reliable article usage.

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.