Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-09

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 given diagram illustrates the process of producing electricity in a hydroelectric power station.

Overall, there are multiple stages involved in the process, commencing with water from the river and ending with electricity generate and distributed via grid for nation use.

The process begin with when water from a river is stored in a dam, creating a high-level reservoir. During the day, the intake is opened, which is allows water to flow downward to reversible turbines in the power station. At a time, these machine operate electricity due to the force of water flow. Subsequently, electricity is then distributed by national grid power lines directly link to power station.

Following the previous stages, water is following through the reversible machine will be stored at the low-level reservoir. At night, it will be pumped back to the high-level reservoir by the reversible turbines, which work as a pump during this time, thus beginning the cycle once again to generate electricity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the hydroelectric power station process. You have successfully identified the key stages, including the high-level reservoir, the intake, the reversible turbines, and the low-level reservoir. The comparison between the daytime electricity generation and the nighttime pumping cycle is clear. However, the description could be more precise; for instance, mentioning the 'generator' specifically would have added technical accuracy. The overview is functional, but it could be more concise to avoid minor grammatical issues. Overall, you have addressed the requirements of the task well by summarizing the process logically.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific phase of the process. You use transition signals such as 'Subsequently', 'Following the previous stages', and 'At night' to guide the reader through the sequence of events. While the progression is generally smooth, some cohesive devices are used slightly mechanically, and there are minor issues with referencing (e.g., 'these machine' should be plural). Despite these small slips, the information is presented in a coherent manner, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a process description task.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'reservoir', 'reversible turbines', and 'distributed'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and form, such as 'electricity generate' instead of 'electricity generation' and 'directly link' instead of 'directly linked'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that word forms (nouns vs. verbs) are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are several grammatical errors that occur frequently, such as 'The process begin with when' (subject-verb agreement and redundant 'with') and 'which is allows' (incorrect verb form). Additionally, 'water is following' should be 'water flowing'. These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While they rarely impede the overall meaning, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a stronger grasp of verb tenses and passive voice constructions.

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

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