Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The diagram described the flow of electricity generation in a hydroelectric power station.It involved 6 stages,waters, reservoirs and generator were the msin features.

Overall, River,Dam,and water experienced an upward trend,followed by high and low reservoirs that contain waters to be pumped during day or night, whereas ,generator appeared as the least to give electricity incase of failed power supply.

To begin with, River is been stored first in to the high level reservoir which form the Dam,the reservoir is opened in the day for power supply and water flows to the reversible turbines to operate generator by an upward press and pump light, however during the night the dan is closed so ,water flows back to high level reservoir.

Furthermore, the reversible turbines, operate the generator power line to the national grid and the water in the dam open and flows to low level reservoir also in the night it closes and return to high level reservoir through reversible turbines.

In comparison ,Water flows day and night to high and low level reservoirs have the highest trend of hydroelectricity supply,

followed by generator ,while the reversible turbines was the least.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the main components, including the reservoirs, dam, turbines, generator and national grid, and you attempt to describe both daytime generation and nighttime pumping. However, the account only partially reports the process: the overview that there are “6 stages” is not a useful summary of the diagram, and the claim that the generator is “the least to give electricity” is unsupported. Several key details are confused, especially “water flows to the reversible turbines to operate generator by an upward press”; during the day, water flows down to the turbines, while at night it is pumped back up. Clarify the two operating cycles and describe the sequence accurately, rather than adding trend comparisons that do not apply to a process diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, an overview, and two body paragraphs, and it uses basic sequencing signals such as “To begin with” and “Furthermore.” These give the reader some sense of structure. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview introduces unclear comparisons, and the body paragraphs repeat the day/night cycle without presenting its stages in a clean order. Connectors such as “however” and “whereas” do not always show a clear contrast, while the final “In comparison” paragraph repeats earlier points rather than adding a useful summary. Organise the description into a clear overview followed by the daytime route and the nighttime return, using references that make each water movement easy to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “high level reservoir,” “reversible turbines,” “power line,” and “national grid,” so the reader can recognise the subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes obscures meaning. “Upward trend” and “highest trend” are unsuitable for describing a process, and “upward press” and “pump light” do not clearly express the water’s movement. There are also spelling errors such as “msin” and “dan.” Aim for precise verbs and collocations for movement and operation, and check spelling and terminology carefully. Repeating accurate terms such as “flows down,” “is pumped back,” and “generates electricity” would be clearer than using vague comparisons.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt longer sentences and use clauses to describe contrasting operations, for example, “however during the night the dan is closed so, water flows back.” This shows some effort to vary sentence structure. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in verb forms, articles, agreement, and punctuation frequently make the process hard to follow. Examples include “River is been stored,” “which form the Dam,” and “the reversible turbines, operate the generator power line.” Several sentences also run together, with inconsistent spacing and commas. Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with clear time clauses such as “During the day, water flows…” and “At night, it is pumped…”. Check subject–verb agreement and use of articles when revising.

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