Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-03

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 illustrates how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station. The process consists of several stages.

Overall, mainly the river supply the high-level reservoir water into the dam. However, the dam storaged the water. After that, flow of water to generate electricity during the day time. Flow of water moving into the main powe station.

Initially, the generator supplies electricity to the power lines. Next step is, power lines supply electricity to the national grid. Moreover, bottom of the generator it has low-level reservoir. During the day time the generator is operate and consumption th e low-level reservoir. According to the next step, during the night time low-level reservoir is pump. Then the flow of water pumping during the night into the dam of water storage.

In summary, the hydroelectric power station process has the several steps and main resource is water. River water supply into the flow and then it moved into the power station. Furthermore, it moved into the power lines. After that during the day and night time it pumping unto the flow.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the topic and mention several relevant components, including the river, reservoirs, power station, generator, power lines and national grid. You also recognise that the process changes between day and night. However, the account only partially explains how these parts work together, and some details are inaccurate or unclear: for example, the generator does not initially supply electricity independently of the turbines, and the low-level reservoir is not simply “bottom of the generator.” The key cycle—water flowing downhill through the turbines to generate electricity by day, then being pumped back uphill at night—needs to be stated clearly. Your overview is present, but it does not accurately summarise this central two-way process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, a sequence of body information and a concluding paragraph, and words such as “Initially,” “Next” and “Moreover” show an attempt to guide the reader. However, progression is difficult to follow because stages are repeated or placed in an unclear order. For instance, the account begins with the reservoir and water flow, then jumps back to the generator and power lines, before returning to the reservoirs. The final paragraph repeats earlier points rather than bringing the day-and-night cycle together. Some linking phrases do not express the relationship between ideas accurately. Organise the description in process order, grouping daytime generation and nighttime pumping, and use clear references to each component.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “high-level reservoir,” “low-level reservoir,” “generator” and “national grid,” so the reader can identify several important parts. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations make the process difficult to understand. Examples include “the dam storaged the water,” “the generator is operate,” and “low-level reservoir is pump.” “Consumption” is also not an accurate description of water moving through the system. Use precise process verbs such as “stores,” “flows,” “drives,” “generates” and “is pumped,” and distinguish the dam from the reservoir. Check spelling and word forms, including “power station,” to make technical descriptions clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including “According to the next step, during the night time low-level reservoir is pump,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in agreement, verb forms and sentence construction occur throughout: “the river supply,” “the dam storaged,” and “the generator is operate” are examples. Several fragments, such as “After that, flow of water to generate electricity during the day time,” lack a complete clause, while “During the day time the generator is operate and consumption th e low-level reservoir” is difficult to parse. These problems sometimes obscure the sequence. Build complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and practise passive forms for process descriptions, such as “water is pumped back to the high-level reservoir.”

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