Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-11

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 6.0)

The diagram illustrates the process how a hydroelectric power station generated electricity.

Overall, the system involve two reservoirs, a dam, reversible turbine and generator. During the day, water supply through the high reservoir to the low reservoir and generate electricity by help of reversible turbine, whereas at night, the process is reversed and water is pumped back to the upper reservoir.

During the day time, the intake is opened and water flow from the upper reservoir to the low reservoir through a pipe. As the water is passed though reversible turbine, it rotate turbine and generator produced electricity. It transmitted through power line to national grid. After passing turbine, water entered into the low level reservoir.

At night time, the process is reversed. The intake is closed. The reversible turbine act as a pump that helps water flowed from the low reservoir to the high level reservoir. In this process, electricity used from national grid to turbine. It means the water can be stored and reused for generate electricity again during following day.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully identifies the main features of the hydroelectric power station, including the two-reservoir system and the dual-function turbine. You have clearly distinguished between the daytime electricity generation phase and the nighttime pumping phase. The overview is concise and effectively captures the cyclical nature of the process. To reach a higher band, ensure that all technical descriptions are precise; for example, describing the water flow as 'water supply through' is slightly imprecise. Overall, you have covered all parts of the task well, providing a clear and logical summary of the provided diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, a body paragraph for the daytime process, and a final paragraph for the nighttime process. You use transition signals such as 'During the day', 'whereas', and 'At night time' to guide the reader through the sequence. However, some cohesive devices are slightly repetitive or mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'In this process') is always clear. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of information is easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using technical terms like 'reservoirs', 'reversible turbine', and 'national grid' correctly. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'water supply through' instead of 'water flows from' and 'generate electricity by help of' instead of 'with the aid of'. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your writing. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that verbs and nouns are paired naturally in a technical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, such as 'the system involve' (should be 'involves'), 'water flow' (should be 'flows'), and 'water entered' (should be 'enters'). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and prepositions. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede the reader's understanding of the process. To improve, pay closer attention to third-person singular verb endings and maintain consistent tense usage when describing a recurring process.

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

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