Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-08

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 process how a hydroelectric power station produced electricity.

All in all, the electricity id produced when the water flows between the high-level reservoir and low lever reservoir in a controlled manner.

In hydropower station, the water is collected in a large reservoir from rivers emerging from hilly areas. IN this figure the water is collected in high-level reservoir by construction of dam. The flow of water is controlled with the help of gates which opens at different time. The water runs from high-level reservoir flows downward to generate electricity in day. At the base, there is a power station which consists of a generator with one end connected to power lines for national grid and other end is connected to the reversible turbines below. The water flows through the reversible turbines to low level reservoir during the day which further operate generator and produce electricity. However, during the night the reversible turbines pumps water from low-level reservoir to high-level reservoir.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main cycle and its day/night contrast: water flows from the high-level reservoir through the turbines to the low-level reservoir by day, while the turbines pump it back at night. You also mention the generator, power lines and national grid, so the key stages are represented. However, some details are unclear or not supported by the diagram. For example, the claim that the river comes from “hilly areas” is not shown, and “gates” is less precise than the labelled intake, which is open by day and closed at night. The overview is relevant but could state more clearly that the system both generates electricity and recycles water. Develop the intake’s role and the generator’s connection to the turbines more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: a brief introduction, an overview, and a description of the process, with “However” marking the shift to night-time operation. The sequence is generally easy to follow, moving from the reservoir to the power station and then to the return cycle. However, the overview and body repeat the day/night cycle, while the body’s long sequence of details is presented in one paragraph, making the stages less distinct. Some links between ideas are also awkward, as in “The water runs from high-level reservoir flows downward.” Organise the body into clearer stages—daytime generation and night-time pumping—and use precise references such as “this water” to make connections smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “high-level reservoir,” “reversible turbines,” “generator,” and “national grid.” These terms help communicate the main components, and “flows downward” conveys the direction of movement. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural, however: “gates” does not match the diagram’s labelled “intake,” and “the water is collected in a large reservoir from rivers emerging from hilly areas” adds unsupported detail. There are also word-form and collocation problems, such as “the process how” and “operate generator.” Aim for accurate technical labels and natural process phrases, for example “the process by which” and “drive the generator.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a contrast between daytime and night-time operation and clauses describing how components connect. The main process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. The opening should be “the process by which electricity is generated,” rather than “the process how … produced”; “electricity id produced” also contains a typing error and an incorrect verb form. Agreement is inconsistent in “the flow … which opens” and “the reversible turbines pumps,” and articles are missing in phrases such as “in high-level reservoir” and “to low level reservoir.” The sentence beginning “The water runs … flows downward” combines two structures incorrectly. Check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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