Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-06

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 chart illustrates the generation of electricity by a hydroelectric power station.

overall, we can notice that the flow of water is different at day ant night one goes from the high level reservoir to the low level reservoir and the other starts from the low level reservoir and makes it way to the high level reservoir.

during the day, the dam opens to let the water flow through to generates electricity so it goes to the turbines that operate the generator. the electricity that was created will travel through the power lines to the national grid. after the electricity generation process is done the water exits the water station to the low level reservoir.

In contrast, at night, the dam closes so the water goes from the low level reservoir and reaches the power station in order to pump water into the high level reservoir so it makes sure the low level reservoir doesn't overflow.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by giving an overview of the hydroelectric power station process and highlighting the main features of day and night operations. For instance, the writer correctly contrasts the opening of the dam and water flow during the day with the pumping mechanism at night. However, some aspects are under-developed or lack full clarity. The explanation of the night cycle contains some factual confusion regarding the purpose of the water movement, stating that water reaches the power station to pump water into the high-level reservoir 'so it makes sure the low level reservoir doesn't overflow' rather than focusing on electricity storage. To reach a higher band, the description of the processes and the functional relationship between the reservoirs, turbines, and generator needs to be more precise and fully elaborated.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the information logically, starting with an introductory overview, moving to the daytime process, and concluding with the nighttime contrast. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and faulty due to poor punctuation and a lack of proper sentence boundaries, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters and running clauses together without adequate linking devices. For example, 'overall, we can notice that...' lacks correct capitalization and punctuation. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs suffers from weak referencing and abrupt transitions. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of accurate cohesive devices and ensure correct sentence demarcation to guide the reader smoothly through the stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the basic mechanics of the diagram using terms like 'generation of electricity', 'high level reservoir', 'turbines', and 'national grid'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, but this is accompanied by some word-choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as writing 'water station' instead of 'power station' and 'at day ant night' instead of 'at day and night'. Spelling and morphological slips do not seriously impede communication, but they restrict the score. To achieve a higher level, the writer should incorporate a more precise range of vocabulary related to processes and cycles, and eliminate basic lexical slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and multi-clause structures such as 'the electricity that was created will travel through the power lines'. There are some errors in grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, including missing capital letters at the beginning of sentences and after full stops, as well as minor tense inconsistencies ('to generates electricity'). These errors rarely impede overall communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher rating. To improve in this area, the writer needs to demonstrate better control over punctuation, particularly sentence boundaries, and ensure greater accuracy in verb forms and agreement within complex structures.

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

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