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 given picture shows the process how electricity is produced in power station.

Overall. the diagram shows how water is used to create electricity where we can clearly see there are three major steps which are storing water in high-level recervoir, the second step is spining of tubine to generate energy where as the last is to transfer the energy to grid whereas we can also see how spining direction of turbine also differs it operation use.

The very first step is when a high wall is made for a dam which is known as high-level reservoir where water is stored in night and opened in day time which goes to a turbine. When water flows and turbine turns anti-clockwise the electricity is is produced in the day time whereas in night time the turbine turns clockwise which result in pumping water from lowe level reservoir. The generated electricity is later transfered to national grid.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main purpose and give a broad overview of the day/night cycle, including water storage, turbine operation, electricity generation and transfer to the grid. The account also correctly notes that water returns from the low-level reservoir at night. However, some important details are unclear or inaccurate: the high-level reservoir is not a wall made for a dam, and the intake is open by day and closed at night, rather than the reservoir itself being “opened.” The diagram does not show the turbine turning clockwise or anti-clockwise, so these directions are unsupported. The stages are mentioned but not explained precisely, especially the route from the turbines to the low-level reservoir. Clearer sequencing and closer use of the diagram’s labels would make the process more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph describing the process. It also uses sequencing expressions such as “The very first step” and contrasts “day time” with “night time,” which helps readers follow the basic cycle. However, the overview’s list of “three major steps” is difficult to track because the stages are joined in one long sentence, and the final paragraph moves between the dam, turbine direction, pumping and grid transfer without consistently following the process order. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated “whereas.” Use separate, clearly ordered sentences for daytime generation and nighttime pumping, and make references such as “which” unambiguous. This would strengthen progression while retaining the existing paragraph structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “high-level reservoir,” “turbine,” “pumping” and “national grid,” and the reader can generally understand the topic. There is also an attempt to describe stages with phrases such as “generate energy” and “transfer the energy.” However, spelling errors (“recervoir,” “spining,” “tubine,” “lowe,” “transfered”) and imprecise or unnatural combinations reduce accuracy. “A high wall is made for a dam” does not clearly describe the reservoir and dam, while “spinning direction” is not a feature shown in the diagram. Aim for precise process collocations, such as “water flows through the turbines” and “electricity is transmitted to the national grid,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the vocabulary more reliable and appropriately precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast between daytime generation and nighttime pumping. The main meaning is usually recoverable, but some sentence structures and grammatical forms are inaccurate. For example, “shows the process how electricity is produced” needs a construction such as “shows how electricity is produced,” and “which result in pumping” has a subject–verb agreement error. The long overview sentence beginning “Overall” contains several clauses joined without clear punctuation, while “the electricity is is produced” includes an unnecessary repeated verb. There are also inconsistent or unclear tense and article choices. Practise building shorter, controlled sentences first, then combine them with accurate clauses using “while” or “whereas”; careful proofreading for agreement and punctuation will improve clarity.

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