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 diagram illustrates the step by step procedure of the production of electricity in a hydroelectric power station.

Overall, it indicates that the procedure comprises many steps. initially water is taken from river and store in dam. During day, it flows toward power station, which consists of generator, that is used to produced electricity for our daily use. During night, water from low-level reservoir by reversible turbines pump back into high-level reservoir.

At first, water from river flows toward dam. During night, it is close but during day the dam wall is removed and intake of water is open. So, water from dam flows toward power station. The power station consists of generator which has turbines. During day, these turbines move and generate electricity, which moves toward power lines and national grid. Furthermore, the water is stored in low-level reservoir. During night, turbines move reversible and pump water upward in high-level reservoir.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station and explaining the difference between daytime and nighttime operations. An overview is presented, noting that the process comprises many steps. However, some aspects of the process are slightly confused or under-developed, such as describing the intake being 'removed' or stating that turbines move 'reversible', which reflects a partial misunderstanding of some diagram labels. Nevertheless, the core sequence covering both day and night cycles is presented, satisfying the requirements for this band level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division between an introduction, an overview, and subsequent body details. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'During day', and 'Furthermore' are employed to sequence information. However, referencing and cohesion can sometimes feel mechanical or slightly faulty, such as the abrupt transition between sentences in the second paragraph. Paragraphing is attempted, though the division could be managed more logically to separate the daytime generation cycle cleanly from the nighttime pumping cycle.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic process concepts with terms like 'generation', 'electricity', 'reservoir', and 'turbines'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'procedure' and 'reversibly', but this is accompanied by word choice and word formation inaccuracies, for example using 'produced' instead of 'produce' and 'store' instead of 'stored'. Spelling is generally acceptable, and while these lexical errors are noticeable, they do not seriously impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as clauses introduced by time markers ('During day, it flows toward power station...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors involving subject-verb agreement, missing articles, and awkward phrasing, including 'water from low-level reservoir by reversible turbines pump back' and 'it is close' instead of 'closed'. Punctuation is also erratic in places, such as the lowercase letter at the start of 'initially'. These errors reflect a control level that requires careful attention to basic sentence architecture.

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