Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 sequential stages involved in the process of producing electricity in a hydroelectric power station.

Overall, the process involves using natural resources as well as modern infastructure such as river water, dam and reservoir. The water is flown though the river where the dam was built to increase water pressure which is responsible for generating the electricity. In the subsequential process electricity is transfered through power lines to national grid.

The process begins with creating adequate water pressure and storing a large amount of water in the high level reservoir. Next, another process called intake involved opening the path to flow pressurized water into the power station at day and kept it close at night. This followed by the working of generator to create electricity which then reached to national grid through power lines.

In the second stage, The reversible turbines is responsible for managing generator during day and pump the water towards the high level reservoir. Also, there is a low level reservoir which is small compared with high level reservoir store a tiny portion of water which flown through the intake at day time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as electricity generation and include several key components, including the high-level reservoir, intake, generator, power lines, national grid, reversible turbines and low-level reservoir. The overview also recognises that water storage and infrastructure are involved. However, some important stages are unclear or inaccurately described: the diagram shows the river feeding the upper reservoir, water flowing down through the turbines by day, and water being pumped back up at night. Your account does not clearly explain this complete cycle, and the claim that the low-level reservoir stores only a “tiny portion” is unsupported. The day/night roles of the turbines are also confused. Covering both directions of water flow more precisely would make the main features more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, and it generally moves from the reservoir towards electricity transmission. Sequencing expressions such as “The process begins,” “Next” and “In the second stage” help guide the reader. However, the progression becomes difficult to follow when the final paragraph returns to daytime operation after discussing the night-time pumping cycle. Some links are also unclear: “This followed by the working of generator” does not clearly connect the intake to the next stage, while “In the second stage” is an imprecise transition. Organise the description in a clear day-cycle sequence followed by the night-cycle reversal, and use references that make each stage’s relationship explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “high level reservoir,” “intake,” “reversible turbines,” “power lines” and “national grid.” Terms such as “sequential stages” and “pressurized water” show an attempt to use more specific language. Some word choices and collocations, however, are inaccurate or awkward: water is “flown” rather than flowing, “infastructure” is misspelled, and “the path” is less precise than a channel or intake. “Creating adequate water pressure” also does not accurately describe the diagram, which shows water being stored behind a dam. Aim for precise process verbs and check spelling, while avoiding unsupported descriptions such as “tiny portion.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the clause “which is responsible for generating the electricity.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but grammatical errors occur in several sentences. For example, “This followed by the working of generator” needs a finite verb and an article, while “The reversible turbines is responsible” has subject–verb disagreement. The sentence about the intake also shifts awkwardly between “involved opening” and “kept it close,” and the final sentence lacks agreement in “reservoir … store.” Review verb forms, agreement, articles and tense consistency. More accurate control of these patterns would make your process description easier to read.

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