Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 electricity, how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station.

Overall, it is evident that the prosess consists of serveral main stages, beginning with storage of water in the dam from river and ending with national grid. The process involve a series of mechanical stages, such as turbines and generator.

Looking first at the source of water, water store in the dam from river. Intake gate is use for the water flow. Intake gate is open during the day that is used for tha flow of water into turbines, while at night intake gate is closed that used form pumping water.

Turning to remaining stages, water reached to reversible turbines during the day it opreate generator and at night pump water into high level reservior. Generator produced the electricity in power station and send it to power lines where it distibuted to national grid.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a sequence from water storage to electricity reaching the national grid, and you include the important day/night distinction: the intake is open by day and closed at night, while the reversible turbines generate electricity or pump water back. However, the account is incomplete and some stages are unclear. The diagram shows water moving from the high-level reservoir through the turbines to the low-level reservoir during the day, then returning uphill at night; this full cycle is not clearly explained. The overview also says the process ends with the national grid, overlooking the night-time return to the upper reservoir. The response is 141 words, below the 150-word minimum; the nine words copied from the prompt are excluded. Develop the cycle more fully and meet the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs that move from the water source to the power station. Phrases such as “Looking first” and “Turning to remaining stages” help signal this progression. However, the sequence is not consistently clear, particularly in “Intake gate is open during the day that is used for the flow of water into turbines,” where the relationship between the intake and the water’s route is difficult to follow. The final paragraph also combines turbine operation, pumping, electricity production, and transmission without clearly separating the day and night stages. Use explicit sequencing and contrast markers, and make each stage’s connection to the next clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “intake gate,” “reversible turbines,” “generator,” and “national grid,” so the reader can identify the main components. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision: “water store in the dam from river,” “flow of water into turbines,” and “distributed to national grid” are not expressed naturally. There are also repeated spelling errors, including “prosess,” “serveral,” “reservior,” and “distibuted.” Aim for accurate process collocations such as “water is stored in the reservoir,” “flows through the turbines,” and “is transmitted to the national grid.” More precise vocabulary for the two directions of water movement would also strengthen the description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, grammatical errors are frequent, and the range of accurately controlled structures is limited. Examples include “water store in the dam,” “Intake gate is use,” and “Generator produced the electricity,” where passive forms or verb forms are needed. Articles and sentence construction are also problematic in “from river” and “that is used for the flow,” while “the process involve” has subject–verb disagreement. These errors sometimes make the relationships between stages difficult to understand. Practise forming passive process descriptions consistently—for example, “Water is stored” and “electricity is sent”—and check agreement, articles, and clause links when editing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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