Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-25

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 power generation process at day time and during night.

Overall, electricity is generates in day time by flow of water from top river to botton. The flow of water is manage by opening of portion called intake in dam. While during night the water is reverse pump to river so that it will used again for electricity generation.

The process of electricity depends upon the high level water reservoir where water flows into dam and ultimately into the power station. On power station generators are installed. When water flows from these generator it will produce electricity. The procees of electricity generation is carried out during whole day and the elctricity which produce is tarnsfer to national grid station where it will use or it may store for future uses.

This process is widely used in the world and one of the great source of electriciy production. Every Country needs to improve thier setups of Dams so that they get more power production to fullfill household and industries requirement.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a day-and-night process and give a basic overview of water moving down to generate electricity and being pumped back at night. You also mention the high-level reservoir, dam, power station and national grid, so several central features are included. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the water is pumped back to the high-level reservoir, not “to river,” and the response does not explain the low-level reservoir or the intake’s day-open/night-closed operation. The claim that electricity may be stored for future use is not shown in the diagram, and the final comments about countries improving dams and household needs are outside the task. A more complete, precise account of the two operating stages would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the process. The contrast between daytime and nighttime is also a useful organising idea. However, the sequence is not consistently clear. For example, “water flows into dam and ultimately into the power station” skips the low-level reservoir and turbines, while “When water flows from these generator” makes the relationship between the water and equipment difficult to follow. Linking phrases such as “Overall” and “While during night” are attempted, but some connections are awkward or incomplete. The final paragraph shifts from describing the diagram to general recommendations, interrupting the progression. Organise the stages in order and use clear references to each component.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “high level water reservoir,” “intake,” “power station,” “generators,” and “national grid,” which helps communicate the topic. There is also an attempt to describe movement and purpose through phrases such as “flow of water” and “electricity generation.” However, word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less clear: “botton,” “procees,” “elctricity,” and “tarnsfer” are examples. Some combinations are also inaccurate or unnatural, such as “water is reverse pump to river” and “national grid station.” Use precise terms from the diagram, especially “low-level reservoir,” “reversible turbines,” and “pumped back to the high-level reservoir,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a sentence beginning “While during night,” and you use present-tense forms to describe a process. However, grammatical errors occur frequently and sometimes obscure relationships between stages. Examples include “electricity is generates,” “The flow of water is manage,” and “When water flows from these generator it will produce electricity.” These show problems with passive verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent, as in “On power station generators are installed.” The response relies on a limited set of sentence patterns, and some longer constructions are not controlled. Practise accurate present simple and passive forms, such as “water is pumped” and “electricity is generated,” before adding more complex clauses.

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