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 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 the low-level reservoir to the high-level reservoir during day and night respectively.

Water flowing from the river is stored in the 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. The electricity generated is then stored inside the generator and transmitted 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 at 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 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear summary of the hydroelectric power station process, covering both the daytime electricity generation phase and the night-time pumping cycle. An overview is successfully presented in the introduction, capturing the main features of the diagram. However, some aspects are slightly under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies; for instance, stating that electricity is 'stored inside the generator' misinterprets the technical flow shown in the visual data, where electricity is transmitted directly to the national grid via power lines. While the key stages are identified, a more precise reporting of specific mechanical details would elevate the task response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement, with information logically sequenced from the river and high-level reservoir through to the power station and low-level reservoir. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, the daytime generation phase, and the night-time cycle. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical or faulty, such as the referencing in the sentence 'The flowing water is kept inside the low-level reservoir which during the night is pumped back', where punctuation and connective choices could be smoother. Transitional phrases help guide the reader through the cycle, but clearer referencing is needed to fully achieve a seamless flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to the diagram such as 'hydroelectric power station', 'reservoir', 'turbines', and 'national grid'. There are some spelling slips ('illlustrates', 'continious') and minor word-choice inaccuracies ('continious to and fro process'), but these do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the vocabulary range should be wider and more flexible, with tighter control over spelling and word forms, ensuring precise collocations when describing technical engineering processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and participial phrases reasonably well. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('with the help of dam' instead of 'with the help of a dam') and awkward prepositions or phrasing ('Water flowing from the river is stored...'). Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the sequential explanation easily. Greater control over article usage and complex sentence mechanics would improve the accuracy of the writing.

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

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