Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-27

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 given diagram highlights the sequential process of electricity generation in a hydroelectric power station.

Overall, the process is based on three main stages, which begins with the intake of water from river and concludes with the supply of energy to the national grid station, while reversible turbines act as an intermediate stage. In addiiton, they are bifunctional in terms of the direction of pumping water.

During day, gates of the dam are opened to allow the maximum intake of the water, which flows downward to rotate reversible turbines, which are present in the bottom of the power station. Additionally, these turbines power the generator, located at the top of the power station. to produce electricity, which is transmitted through various power lines to the national grid station.

In contrast, during night, the water moves from low-level reservoir to the high-level reservoir including river, with the help of reversible turbines that play the essential role of pumps to push the water in upward direction from low-reservior to a high reservior.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The candidate successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the hydroelectric power station diagram and highlighting the day and night operational cycles. The overview clearly identifies the sequential nature of the process and the role of the reversible turbines. Key stages—such as the intake of water, the generation of electricity during the day, and the pumping of water back to the high-level reservoir at night—are accurately described and well-grounded in the visual data. The response meets the requirement to select, report, and make comparisons where relevant without including irrelevant information.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organised and easy to follow. It begins with an introductory paragraph containing a clear overview, followed by well-structured body paragraphs detailing the daytime and night-time processes. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In addition', 'During day', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the sequence of events. Paragraphing is logical and appropriate, ensuring a clear progression of ideas from the river intake through generation and back to the reservoir.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic process description, employing terms such as 'sequential process', 'reversible turbines', 'bifunctional', and 'transmitted'. While there is a minor spelling slip ('addiiton' instead of 'addition') and a minor grammatical slip in word formation ('low-reservior' and 'high reservior'), the vocabulary is precise enough to convey the processes accurately. Less common lexical items are attempted with adequate awareness of style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and adverbial phrases of time. There are frequent error-free sentences, such as 'During day, gates of the dam are opened to allow the maximum intake of the water...' However, a few minor inaccuracies occur, such as missing articles ('During day' instead of 'During the day', 'from river' instead of 'from the river') and a punctuation error involving a stray full stop before 'to produce electricity'. Despite these errors, communication is not impeded.

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

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