Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-01

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 how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station.

As can be seen in the diagram, there are two main stages after water have flown into the station. In addition, there are two ways of water flow, flowing during day and night.

Firstly, the process begins with high-level reservoir, which is restricted by a dam, opening for intake during daytime and closed at night. Then, the water flow to generate electricity during daytime through a narrow way. This leads water to the power station, where the generator with reversible turbines is located. That operate generator throughout the day, however, its pump water into high-level reservoir at night. The generator is a power lines to provide electricity to the national grid.

In contrast with the flow of water during daytime, at night the flow of water is going the opposite way. It is going from a low-level resevoir, through the generator to pump water to a high-level reservoir, which also happened through a narrow tunnel.

In conclusion, the hydroelectric power station contains two main stages during day and night, which helps provide electricity to every part of a country.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the main purpose of the task by outlining how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station during the day and night cycles. It selects and reports key features, such as the high-level and low-level reservoirs, the dam, the intake, and the reversible turbines. However, some parts are more fully developed than others, and certain aspects are slightly unclear or generalised, such as describing the generator as 'a power lines'. This places the response firmly within the band where all parts are addressed, but some areas remain under-developed or imprecise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and ideas are generally sequenced logically following the process flow. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the daytime generation from the nighttime pumping process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, seen in phrases like 'In addition, there are two ways of water flow' and occasional referencing issues, such as 'which also happened through a narrow tunnel'. The step up to the next band requires smoother transitions and more precise referencing throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

An adequate range of vocabulary is deployed for the task, successfully attempting less common terms such as 'hydroelectric power station', 'reversible turbines', and 'national grid'. However, there are notable word-choice and word-form inaccuracies that prevent a higher score, such as 'water have flown', 'resevoir' (spelling), and confusing 'a power lines'. Despite these limitations, communication is not impeded, and the vocabulary remains minimally sufficient to cover the mechanical processes depicted in the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses ('which is restricted by a dam') and conditional-like time contrasts. However, there are persistent grammatical errors in verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, including 'water have flown', 'the water flow to generate', and 'its pump water'. Punctuation and article usage also exhibit minor flaws. These errors occur alongside correct structures, and while they rarely impede overall communication, they reflect the characteristics of this grammar band.

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

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