Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 given diagram illustrates the generation of electricity from water in a hydroelectric power station using two water resevoirs, high-level and low-level.

The process of electricity generation takes place during day time. Firstly, the water is stored in high-level reservoir, which is located behind the dam from river. consequently, the water is passed through the large water pipes in reversible turbines, which is situated in the power station along with generator. Reversible turbines produce electricity by spinning water rapidly and then the used water is discharged into low-level reservoir. The generated electricity is transmitted to the generator, from the generator the electricity is transmitted to the national grid through power lines.

However, the reversible process takes place during night time. The turbines act reversibly by pumping back water into the high-level reservoir from low-level reservoir for its reuse in morning, through same pipes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two main operating modes: water flows from the high-level reservoir through the station by day, while the turbines pump it back at night. This gives the response a relevant central account. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the water is not described as being spun rapidly to generate electricity; rather, it drives the reversible turbines, which operate the generator. The sentence saying electricity is transmitted “to the generator” also reverses the sequence, since the generator produces it before it travels through power lines to the grid. The overview and stages are therefore only partly precise, and several features are underdeveloped. The response is also seven words below the required minimum, so add detail to complete the task fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence, moving from the daytime process to the nighttime reversal, and the paragraph break helps distinguish these modes. Connectors such as “Firstly,” “However,” and “then” make the progression easy to follow. Some links between stages are less clear, though: the account first says the water is discharged into the low-level reservoir, then describes electricity being transmitted to the generator, which disrupts the process sequence. “The reversible process” is also a vague reference to the nighttime operation. To improve, organise the daytime stages in their actual order and use precise references such as “the water” or “the generated electricity” so that each transition is unambiguous.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “reservoir,” “reversible turbines,” “discharged,” and “transmitted,” and the reader can generally understand the account. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “high-level” and “low-level.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “spinning water rapidly” does not clearly describe how the turbines generate electricity, and “large water pipes” is less suitable than a term such as “conduit.” “Water resevoirs” contains a spelling error, and “from river” is not a natural expression. Aim for accurate technical wording and check spelling, while retaining the useful process vocabulary already present.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and more complex forms, including the relative clause in “which is located behind the dam” and the contrast introduced by “However.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “water is stored in high-level reservoir” needs an article, and “turbines, which is situated” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence beginning “Firstly” also has an unclear construction around the reservoir’s location, while “from the generator the electricity is transmitted” would benefit from clearer punctuation. Review articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, and make sure longer sentences preserve the correct relationships between stages.

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

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