Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-16

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)

This daigram show the generation of electricity through hydroelectric power station.

There are many function working like, dam, power station and operate generatoe during day time and pump water into night time. River water flow to generate electricity through pipe which pushes the wheels at power station.

Firstly, the water of river is stop due to dam and cause high-level reservior. Afterwards, water flow below the dam intake which open in day time and closed in night time. During day time flow of water goes to power station to generate electricity with the help of generator installed and connected with power lines in national grid. Secondly, water stored in low-level reservior after pushing the wheel of generator.

On the other hand, during night time the water flow backward to low-level reservior to high-level reservior. The water flow backward with the help of pumping. Afterwards, the hydroelectric power station work in cycling process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages of the process: water is held behind a dam, released through an intake during the day, used to generate electricity, and returned from the lower reservoir at night. You also mention the generator, power lines and national grid. However, some important details are unclear or inaccurate. The river does not simply “cause” the high-level reservoir; it feeds it, and at night water is pumped from the low-level reservoir back to the high-level one, rather than flowing “backward to low-level reservior to high-level reservior.” The overview that the station works in a cycle is relevant but too general. Explain the day and night operations more precisely and distinguish the water’s route from the electricity’s route.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable sequence, moving from an introduction to the daytime process and then the nighttime cycle. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and markers such as “Firstly,” “Afterwards” and “On the other hand” guide the reader. However, some links are mechanical or do not express the relationship accurately: “Secondly” introduces the water entering the lower reservoir, while “On the other hand” suggests contrast rather than the next phase of the cycle. The opening paragraph also lists components without establishing a clear process overview. Improve progression by grouping the daytime and nighttime stages clearly and using transitions that show sequence or reversal, while making references such as “the water” unambiguous.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “high-level reservoir,” “intake,” “generator,” “power lines” and “national grid,” which allows the reader to follow the general topic. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the process difficult to picture. For example, “pushes the wheels” is imprecise for the turbines, and “water flow backward to low-level reservior to high-level reservior” does not clearly describe the pumping route. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “daigram,” “generatoe” and “reservior.” Use the diagram’s precise terms, especially “reversible turbines” and “pump water,” and check spelling and natural combinations such as “water flows through the turbines.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including clauses with “which” and time phrases such as “During day time” and “during night time.” The basic sequence is usually understandable, but errors in sentence structure and verb forms are frequent enough to make some relationships unclear. For instance, “This daigram show” lacks subject–verb agreement, while “the water of river is stop” uses an incorrect verb form and article pattern. In “There are many function working like,” the sentence structure is incomplete, and “the hydroelectric power station work in cycling process” has agreement and article errors. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes, including passive forms where appropriate, and check agreement, articles and complete sentence construction.

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