Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-09

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 given process chart illustrates the information about how much electricity is produced by hydroelectric power station.

Overall, in this process multiple steps have been taken. It starts with open dam gates during day time and closed at night and it ends with electricity supply to national grids.

To start with, in the initial stage, river flow through the high-level reservoir and stop flowing with the help of large wall called dam. After that dam gates open at day time and close at night time. Water pass through into small tunnel to the generator. At day time water flow to generator for producing electricity and after that water pumping back at night time.

Moving further, after collecting water in power station it generate electricity and pass into power line and national grid. In the final stage, at day time water operate generator and during night water pump into high-level reservoir.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main subject and include the key day/night contrast: water drives the turbines to generate electricity during the day, while it is pumped back to the high-level reservoir at night. You also mention the generator, power lines and national grid. However, the overview is partly inaccurate: the process does not end with electricity reaching the grid, because the water is also returned to the upper reservoir in a repeating cycle. Some stages are unclear or misreported, such as saying the river “stop[s] flowing” at the dam and describing water as passing “to the generator” rather than through the turbines. To improve, give a precise overview of the two operating modes, then describe the route between both reservoirs and the power station in sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs. Sequencing phrases such as “To start with,” “After that” and “In the final stage” help signal order. However, progression is not consistently clear: the final paragraph repeats the day/night functions already mentioned, and “after collecting water in power station” makes the process difficult to follow. Some links are mechanical, while references such as “it” do not always clearly identify whether they mean the water, the station or the process. Organise the description as a clear cycle: reservoir and intake, turbines and electricity generation, then the return of water at night. Avoid repeating stages and use precise references.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “high-level reservoir,” “dam,” “generator,” “power line” and “national grid,” so the reader can recognise the main components. The range is nevertheless limited, and several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing this diagram. For example, “process chart” is less suitable than “process diagram,” “small tunnel” is vague, and “water operate generator” does not express the intended action clearly. Repetition of “water,” “day time” and “at night” also limits flexibility. Build a more precise set of process terms, such as “conduit,” “flow,” “drive the turbines” and “pump water back,” and check collocations when describing movement and operation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use time clauses to distinguish daytime from nighttime operation, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently enough to make parts of the process unclear. Examples include “river flow” and “water pass,” where subject–verb agreement is missing, and “it generate electricity,” which also has an agreement error. The sentence “it starts with open dam gates during day time and closed at night” is incomplete in its second part, while “after collecting water in power station it generate electricity” has unclear structure and missing grammatical elements. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions, including articles and agreement, and use complete clauses for each stage. Shorter, controlled sentences would improve clarity before you add more complex structures.

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