Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-01

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 process diagram illustrates information on how electricity is produced in a hydroeclectric power station during day and night.

Overall, hydroecelctric power station is based on two things one is Dam and other one is Generator.Dam is having high level reservior and generator has low level reservoir.

firstly, water is coming to the dam of high level reservoir and flow of water is going down to produced electricity during day time , there is power ststion over there water will be in low level reservoir during night time water is reverse through turbines in day time generator will be operating and in night water will reverse into the high level reservior. the process will be reversed like this from high level to lower level reservoir during day and night thats how electricity will be produced in a hydroelectric power stat

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the diagram as a day-and-night process and mention the main reservoirs, turbines and generator, so the response is relevant. However, the account is only partial and some key relationships are unclear or inaccurate: for example, “Dam is having high level reservior and generator has low level reservoir” wrongly associates the low-level reservoir with the generator. The intake’s daytime opening and nighttime closure, and the connection from the generator through power lines to the national grid, are omitted. The overview also does not clearly explain the cycle of water moving down by day and being pumped back up at night. The response is 10 words below the required minimum. Add a concise overview and describe the stages and day/night contrast more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and then moving to the process, and “Overall” and “firstly” signal stages. However, the ideas do not progress clearly: the long sentence beginning “firstly, water is coming…” combines several stages and switches between daytime and nighttime without clear boundaries. The final sentence repeats the reservoir movement rather than providing a distinct conclusion, and the paragraphing does not help separate the overview from the sequence. Use a clear overview paragraph followed by a chronological description, with one or two stages per sentence. Referencing such as “over there” is also unclear, making it harder to follow which part of the diagram is meant.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “reservoir,” “turbines,” “generator” and “produced electricity,” which helps convey the general subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or repetitive, such as “water is reverse” and “Dam is having.” Spelling errors in key terms—“hydroeclectric,” “hydroecelctric,” “reservior” and “ststion”—are noticeable and reduce precision. The phrase “two things one is Dam and other one is Generator” is also too vague for describing the diagram’s components. Aim for precise process language and vary repeated wording: for example, describe water as flowing, passing through, or being pumped, depending on the stage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect several ideas in longer sentences, but control is inconsistent, and many sentences contain errors that make the sequence difficult to follow. For example, “Overall, hydroecelctric power station is based on two things one is Dam…” lacks articles and clear sentence boundaries. In “water is coming to the dam … and flow of water is going down,” the verb forms and subject agreement are faulty. The long process sentence also joins independent ideas with commas, while “in day time generator will be operating” has missing articles and an awkward tense pattern. Use present simple for general process descriptions, such as “Water flows…” and “The turbines pump…,” and separate each stage into a complete sentence with accurate articles and punctuation.

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