Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-25

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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates the production of electricity in a hydroelectric power station.

Overall, the river water is stored in a dam, and after that, it flows down to turn turbines to make electricity from a generator. Next, water is sent into a low-level reservoir. Furthermore, at night, water is pumped upward by reversible turbines to repeat the hydro production process.

Firstly, the river water flows and is stored at a high-level reservoir by dams. The intake is open during the daytime while closed at night time. Afterwards, water flows downwards to a power station where the generator produces electricity as water turns the reversible turbines. Then, electricity is sent to the national grid by power lines. Later, the remaining water is passed to a low-level reservoir. At night, the water is pumped upwards to a high-level reservoir by reversible turbines, where it is then stored for the next hydro production process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the hydroelectric power station diagram and highlighting the key differences between daytime and nighttime operations. The overview clearly outlines both the electricity generation process and the night-time pumping mechanism. The details provided, such as the intake being open during the day and closed at night, and the role of the reversible turbines, align closely with the provided visual data. The response is fully grounded in the source diagram without bringing in outside information or omitting crucial stages. This demonstrates a clear understanding of the process and satisfies all requirements for Task Achievement at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression from the introduction to the overview, followed by a detailed sequential breakdown of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'Afterwards', and 'At night' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the stages of the diagram. Paragraphing is handled effectively, separating the introduction and overview from the detailed body description. While some cohesive relationships could be slightly more sophisticated to reach a higher band, the logical flow and clear referencing ensure the text is coherent and easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary adequate for the task, successfully employing process-specific terms such as 'hydroelectric power station', 'reversible turbines', 'national grid', and 'high-level reservoir'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'accumulated', 'downward', and 'pumped upwards'. Word choices are generally appropriate, though slightly repetitive in places (e.g., repeating 'water' and 'reservoir'). Spelling and word formation are accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the technical description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and time-dependent adverbials such as 'The intake is open during the daytime while closed at night time' and 'water flows downwards to a power station where the generator produces electricity'. There are occasional minor grammatical imperfections, but the majority of sentences are error-free. Control over punctuation and sentence structures is generally good, and grammatical errors do not cause any difficulty for the reader or obscure the technical meaning of the process being described.

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

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