Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-15

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 shows the process of how hydroelectric power stations generate electricity through water.

Overall, this is a cyclic process, two phase process during day and night to generate and store electricity.

The process begins with storing the water coming from the rivers into the reservoirs which are stored at the higher level. The intake of water is done through dams during the day and the water flows throughout the day to generate electricity and then the reversible turbines are turned on in the power station in day time to tranform the electricity from water and then converted through generator into the power lines and national grid.

The remaing water is then again stored in to the low level reserviors and then it is reversed during the night time and through the reversible turbines it is pumped out into the high level reserviors. This entire process of generating electricity is followed during the day time and cyclic process of flowing water again into the rivers is followed at night.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the key overall feature: the system operates in a day-and-night cycle, with water used to generate electricity by day and pumped back uphill at night. You also include the main components, including the reservoirs, turbines, generator, power lines and national grid. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurate. The intake is not described as being “done through dams”; it is an opening in the dam, open by day and closed at night. The water is not transformed into electricity by the turbines: they drive the generator. The final claim that water flows back into the rivers at night is not shown; it is pumped from the low-level reservoir to the high-level reservoir. Clarifying these points and explaining the two directions of flow more precisely would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and separate descriptions of the daytime and nighttime stages. This gives the reader a general sense of the process, and phrases such as “during the day” and “during the night time” help signal the cycle. However, the long daytime sentence combines several stages with repeated “and then,” making the sequence difficult to follow. The final sentence also repeats the cycle idea and introduces an unclear reference to water returning to rivers. Use shorter sentences to distinguish the daytime route from the nighttime pumping route, and use clear references such as “the water” or “this flow” so each stage is easy to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “reservoirs,” “reversible turbines,” “generator,” “power lines” and “national grid,” which allows you to cover the main equipment. However, some word choices and collocations are imprecise: “transform the electricity from water” does not accurately describe the turbines’ role, while “intake of water is done through dams” is awkward and unclear. There are also spelling errors in “tranform,” “remaing” and “reserviors,” and “stored in to” is not a natural expression. Aim for precise process verbs such as “flows,” “drives,” “generates” and “is pumped back,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence and clauses linked with “which” and “then.” The main stages remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions reduce clarity. For example, “this is a cyclic process, two phase process” lacks a clear grammatical connection between the two descriptions, and “the reversible turbines are turned on … to … and then converted” creates an unclear subject for “converted.” The sentence beginning “The process begins” also runs through many stages without clear sentence boundaries. Use complete, controlled clauses—for example, state that water flows through the turbines, which drive the generator—and check articles, prepositions and punctuation when joining stages.

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