Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The process demonstrates the stages involved in the production of electricity by using geothermal energy.

Overall, the process consists of total five stages. It begins with pumping down the cold water and ends with generating the electricity to transferring to different locations.

Firstly, cold water pumped 4.5 km down injection well. Followed by, passing this cold water through the hot rocks of Geothermal zone. Then, this water got passed to production well. In the fourth stage, hot water is pumped up to condenser .

Then, in the condensing stage the hot water is converted into steam and then this steam used to pass to turbine. In the last stage, generator produces the electricity powered by turbine which got transferred to different locations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as geothermal electricity production and give a broadly accurate sequence: cold water is sent underground, heated by hot rocks, brought up, converted to steam, and used to drive a turbine and generator. The opening overview also identifies the start and end of the process. However, some stages are not fully or clearly described: for example, the water’s passage through the production well is vague, and the final transfer of electricity to “different locations” is not clearly shown in the diagram, which depicts transmission lines and a pylon. The overview could also capture the key transformation from cold water to steam. The response is 28 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail available to report the main features fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall sequence, supported by time markers such as “Firstly,” “Then,” and “In the last stage.” The opening overview is separated from the process description, so the reader can follow the general structure. This logical progression is a strength. However, some links are awkward or repetitive: “Followed by” is used as a sentence fragment, and “Then” appears repeatedly without showing more precise relationships between stages. The paragraph break also separates the first stages from the later ones without a clear reason. To make the progression more fluent, connect related actions in complete sentences and use references such as “this heated water” to link each stage clearly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “geothermal energy,” “injection well,” “production well,” “condenser,” “steam,” and “turbine,” which allows the reader to understand the main stages. There is also some variety in how the process is described, such as “pumped down” and “converted into steam.” However, several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, including “consists of total five stages,” “got passed,” and “to different locations.” “Condensing stage” is also less precise than naming the condenser. Aim for accurate process collocations and avoid informal wording such as “got.” For example, describe water as “passing through” the geothermal zone and electricity as being “transmitted through power lines.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple sentences and longer sequences, and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, errors in sentence formation and verb patterns recur. “Overall, the process consists of total five stages” needs an article and a more accurate construction, while “Firstly, cold water pumped 4.5 km down injection well” is missing a finite verb and an article. “Followed by, passing this cold water…” is a fragment, and “this steam used to pass to turbine” lacks the auxiliary verb and has an incomplete verb pattern. There are also issues with articles and punctuation, as in “to condenser .” Build complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check articles and auxiliary verbs when describing each stage.

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