Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-12

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 5.0)

The given diagram illustrate that how to produce electricity in a hydroelectric power station from the river water.

overall, it can be clearly seen that there is four stages the production of electricity from the river water to power station.

Initially water comes from the river in the dam for the colletion after that the high level reservoir open in day intake and close in night.Water in high speed to generate electricity during day and go in the power station,there is a generator that works during the day open through the reversible turbine thereafter it helps to produce electricity in power line to national grid.

During night there is low level resiorvior thriough the help of reversible turbines water flow back by pumping

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as hydroelectricity generation and include several relevant stages: water is stored behind the dam, passes through the power station, and electricity is sent to the national grid. You also mention that the intake is open by day and closed at night. However, the overview is inaccurate in saying there are “four stages,” and the account does not clearly explain the full cycle: daytime water flows to the low-level reservoir, while at night the turbines pump it back to the high-level reservoir. The description of the generator and turbine is also unclear. The response is 27 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail you can provide. A fuller, more accurate account of both operating modes would strengthen coverage of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, with an opening, an overview, and separate descriptions beginning “Initially” and “During night.” This gives the reader some sense of sequence. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview’s “four stages” does not match the process, and the daytime explanation combines several steps in one long sentence. Linking is limited and sometimes awkward, particularly “after that” and “thereafter,” while the final sentence does not clearly connect the low-level reservoir to the return flow. Use one paragraph for the overview and one for the daytime and nighttime stages, and signal the cycle with clear links such as “During the day” and “At night.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “reservoir,” “generator,” “reversible turbine,” and “national grid,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or spellings make the description difficult to follow: “high speed” is not a precise description of the water flow, “open through” is unclear, and “colletion” and “resiorvior” are misspelled. “Produce electricity” is repeated rather than varied with suitable process language. Aim for accurate terms such as “flows through,” “drives the turbines,” and “is transmitted to the grid.” Check spelling carefully, especially for key technical nouns, and choose verbs that describe the direction and function of each stage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, but control is inconsistent and errors often make relationships between stages unclear. For example, “The given diagram illustrate that how to produce electricity” has subject–verb agreement and clause-structure problems; “there is four stages” also needs agreement. Several sentences run together without appropriate punctuation, especially the daytime description, and the final sentence lacks a clear grammatical structure. Articles and prepositions are also often missing or incorrectly used. Practise building accurate sentences with a clear subject and verb, such as “During the day, water flows through the turbines and drives the generator.” Then combine stages using subordinate clauses only when the basic sentence remains clear.

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