Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-15

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 electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station during day and night .

Overall,the process is divided into two main phases nightime and daytime containing water.There are two level of reservoirs which are high-level reservior and low-level reservior.And between the these two reserviors a power staion generator is equiped.

During the day,the high-level reservior pushes the water into the ground to low-level and generates reversible turbines .It operate generator and this electricity is then transmitted to the national grid via power lines . After passing through the turbines the water collects in the low-level reservior .

Moreover, the process in night reverses.The low level reservior of reversible turbines pump water back into high level-reservior and the intake of will be closed during night time.This ensures that that the water supply is replenished,and the process starts the next day with the same process of electricity generation cycle .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a day-and-night cycle and report the main direction of water flow, electricity generation, and return pumping. The account that water passes through turbines to the low-level reservoir by day, while the turbines pump it back at night, captures the central process. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the high-level reservoir does not itself “generate” the turbines, and the explanation of the daytime intake and the generator’s connection to the turbines is incomplete. The overview also describes the phases vaguely as “containing water.” The response is 142 words, below the required 150, and this limits how fully you can report the stages. Develop the overview and clarify the sequence and function of each component to address the task more completely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a daytime paragraph, and a nighttime paragraph. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the cycle, and “Moreover” signals the shift to the reverse process. However, some links between stages are unclear, particularly “pushes the water into the ground to low-level” and “generates reversible turbines,” which make the daytime sequence difficult to follow. The overview’s phrase “two main phases nightime and daytime containing water” does not clearly summarise the process. There is also unnecessary repetition in “that that” and “the same process.” Use clearer sequencing language such as “first,” “then,” and “finally,” and make each paragraph’s progression explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “high-level reservoir,” “low-level reservoir,” “reversible turbines,” “national grid,” and “power lines,” so the reader can identify the main components. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes obscuring the process: water does not “generate reversible turbines,” and “pushes the water into the ground” is not an appropriate description of its route. Spelling errors such as “reservior,” “staion,” “equiped,” and “nightime” are noticeable. Aim for precise process verbs and check the spelling of key technical terms. For example, describe water as flowing through the turbines and being pumped back to the upper reservoir.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast between daytime generation and nighttime pumping. However, grammatical errors are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. Examples include “The diagram illustrates electricity is generated,” which needs “illustrates how electricity is generated,” and “It operate generator,” where the verb and article are missing or incorrect. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and sentence construction in “There are two level of reservoirs” and “the intake of will be closed.” Punctuation spacing is inconsistent, and the final sentence repeats “that.” Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and article use, and build complex sentences around clear clauses before adding extra information.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.