Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-30
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 about the electricity generation at a hydroelectric power station.
Overall, the diagram illustrates about the different processes by which electricity is produced with the help of water. It is divided into two sections: How water is used to produce electricity by the means of dams and how generated electricity is transferred to national grid.
The generation of electricity through water is started from river, where high-level reservior is constructed with the help of a dam. During the day, the dam is used for the intake of water towards power station which then generates electricity. However, at night, the intake of water is stopped and water is pumped back to the high-level reservior from the low-level reservior.
The water which came from reservior during the day helps generate electricity by exerting force on reversible turbines and flow towards low-level reservior. The reversible turbines are attached with a generator which produces electricity and transfer it into national grid with the help of power lines.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the hydroelectric power station diagram. An overview is provided, distinguishing between daytime electricity generation and nighttime water pumping. Key stages such as the high-level reservoir, dam, intake, reversible turbines, generator, and national grid are all mentioned accurately. However, the overview is somewhat repetitive, stating 'the diagram illustrates about' twice. Furthermore, minor details like the low-level reservoir are integrated smoothly, but the overall development could be slightly more concise. Overall, the response meets the requirements of Band 6.5 to 7.0; it covers all parts adequately with clear reporting of the process.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is organized into four paragraphs, moving from an introduction and overall statement into the daytime and nighttime processes, followed by the generation mechanism. Progression is generally logical, making the steps of the process easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'During the day', 'However', and 'The water which came' are used to connect ideas, though some referencing is slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different stages of the cyclical process. Minor mechanical flaws in cohesion prevent the score from reaching a higher band, but the logical sequence is maintained throughout, fitting the Band 6.5 to 7.0 criteria.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a technical process, utilizing terms such as 'hydroelectric power station', 'high-level reservoir', 'reversible turbines', 'generator', and 'national grid'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as using 'illustrates about' instead of 'illustrates', and spelling errors like 'reservior' instead of 'reservoir'. Attempts at less common vocabulary are evident, but precision is occasionally lacking. Because of these recurring lexical and spelling inaccuracies, the vocabulary performance sits comfortably at a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, using relative clauses and conditional-like time markers ('During the day, the dam is used...', 'The water which came from reservior...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the response, including subject-verb agreement issues ('transfer it into national grid'), missing articles ('to national grid'), and awkward passive constructions ('The generation of electricity through water is started from river'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical inaccuracies occur with enough frequency to impede smooth reading in places, aligning with Band 6.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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