Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In a hydroelectric power station, electricity is generated by taking water from the flowing river. Water first drops into the high-level reservoir, then passes through the dam, which is open during the day time. Afterwards, for the main generation process, water flows to the reversible turbines that pump it upwards to the generator that is in the power station, that will take it to the power lines and then finally to the national grid. The process of generating electricity doesn't end there, and there is an inverse system that works at night as well. During the day, some amount of water that moved into the reversible turbines is dropped to the low- level reservoir, and when the night begins, this water flows back up to the dam, which is closed by that time, and this is when the pumping activity occurs. When these events happen repeatedly, the hydroelectric power station mentality can be understood.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main cycle and distinguish daytime generation from nighttime pumping, including the high- and low-level reservoirs, turbines, generator and national grid. However, several key details are inaccurate or unclear: the intake, rather than the dam itself, is labelled as open by day and closed at night; water flows down to the turbines during generation, not upwards; and the generator produces electricity rather than taking water or carrying it to the power lines. The final phrase about the station’s “mentality” does not explain a process feature. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the two operating modes, then describe the water’s route and the turbines’ different functions accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows a broadly chronological order, moving from the river and upper reservoir through generation and then to the nighttime cycle. Linking phrases such as “Afterwards,” “During the day,” and “when the night begins” help signal sequence. However, the whole account is presented as one paragraph, and several long sentences combine multiple stages, making the relationships between them difficult to follow. Repeated references to “this water” and “this is when” are not always precise, while “that will take it” obscures what the generator does. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the two operating stages, and make each sentence describe one clear movement or function.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “high-level reservoir,” “reversible turbines,” “power lines,” and “national grid,” and you attempt to describe the cycle with terms such as “inverse system.” However, some word choices are inaccurate or unnatural for a technical process: turbines do not “pump [water] upwards” during daytime generation, and “the hydroelectric power station mentality” is not an appropriate description. Phrases such as “some amount of water” are also vague. Aim for precise process verbs and standard collocations, for example, water “flows through” turbines, the generator “produces electricity,” and water is “pumped back” at night. This would make the account clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including clauses introduced by “which,” “that,” and “when,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, some long sentences are grammatically awkward or difficult to control. In “the generator … that will take it to the power lines,” the relative clause has an unclear reference and an unsuitable future form; “when the night begins, this water flows back up” also shifts between a time clause and a general process without clear control. The final sentence, beginning “When these events happen repeatedly,” is incomplete in meaning. Use shorter, well-formed sentences and check that relative pronouns clearly refer to the intended noun and that verb forms consistently describe a general process.

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