Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The diagram illlustrates the process of generating electricity in a hydroelectric power station. Overall, the hydroelectric power generation is a continious to and fro process of moving water from the river to low-level reservoir to high-level reservoir during day and night respectively.

Water flowing from the river is stored in high-level reservoir with the help of dam. The water intake opens during the day allowing the water to flow from the reservoir through the turbines of the generator which converts the kinetic energy of the flowing water into electricity. Electricity generated is then stored in the generator and passed through the power lines into the national grid.

The flowing water is kept inside the low-level reservoir which during the night is pumped back into the high-level reservoir.Flow of water is opposite in night as opposed to during the day. The water travels back through the same pipe and this continious daily cycle keeps on generating hydroelectricity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all main parts of the diagram, presenting a clear overview of the dual-phase daily cycle between the high-level and low-level reservoirs. Key features such as the day and night operations, the intake valve, reversible turbines, and the national grid are all reported. However, some aspects are slightly under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies, such as stating that electricity is stored in the generator rather than transmitted directly to the grid via power lines. The selection of information is generally relevant and accurate, satisfying the requirements for this level while stopping just short of a fully extended and seamless discussion of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a logical sequence following the stages of the process diagram from the river through to the reservoirs and power station. Paragraphing is used reasonably to separate the introduction, the daytime electricity generation phase, and the night-time pumping phase. Cohesive devices are present, though some referencing and transitions feel a bit mechanical or lack fluency, such as the abrupt start to the final paragraph ("The flowing water is kept inside..."). The progression of ideas is generally clear, though tighter referencing between sentences would enhance the overall flow and organizational control.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a technical process, including terms like "hydroelectric power station," "kinetic energy," "reversible turbines," and "national grid." However, there are notable spelling and word choice inaccuracies, such as "illlustrates" and "continious" (continuous), alongside phrasing that is slightly unnatural, such as "is a continious to and fro process." These lexical errors do not impede communication, but they reflect the characteristics of this band level where attempts at less common vocabulary are accompanied by recurring minor errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts to vary sentence structure using relative clauses and participial phrases, such as "allowing the water to flow from the reservoir through the turbines... which converts the kinetic energy." There are several grammar errors present, including missing articles ("in high-level reservoir", "in low-level reservoir") and minor prepositional or agreement slips. Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the intended meaning without significant difficulty.

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