Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-06
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 5.5)
Production of the electricity through geothermal energy is provided in the process diagram of a geothermal power plant.
Basically Cold water pumped into the ground almost 4.5 kilometers below the normal surface, via injection well. Then this water converted into bubbles using the heat from hot rocks present in the geothermal zone.
After that high temperature steam gets into the electric turbine and rotate it, that ultimately cause the rotation of the generator shaft attached to it which produce electricity. Then this geothermal electricity directly goes to the grids of tower and can be used or stored.
This whole process inlcludes two wells in which the production well is a bit wider than the injection well. Also out to two containers, the storage tank that is holding the cold water is compact than the one containing steam in it. Moreover two kinds of power is being used in the system, out of those, turbine is powered by steam and the generator is getting mechanical power, produced by turbine to generate elctricity.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main stages of the geothermal energy process, from the injection of water to the final distribution of electricity. You have successfully identified key components like the wells, turbine, and generator. However, the description of the process is somewhat informal and lacks a clear overview or summary of the overall mechanism. While you mention the two wells and the storage tanks, these details are presented as a list rather than integrated into the process description. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a clear, cohesive summary of the entire cycle in the introduction and maintain a more formal, objective tone throughout the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. You use some cohesive devices such as 'After that', 'Then', and 'Moreover' to link ideas. However, the transition between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical flow could be improved. For instance, the final paragraph introduces comparisons of the equipment size, which feels slightly disconnected from the chronological process described earlier. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would improve the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'geothermal zone', 'injection well', and 'generator shaft'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'production of the electricity' (should be 'electricity production') and 'out to two containers' (which is unclear). Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'inlcludes' and 'elctricity'. To improve, focus on using more precise technical collocations and ensure that your spelling is accurate. Expanding your vocabulary to include more varied verbs for describing processes would also be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect the clarity of your writing. For example, 'Basically Cold water pumped into the ground' lacks a verb, and 'this water converted into bubbles' is missing an auxiliary verb. There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement, such as 'two kinds of power is being used'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for missing verbs and articles will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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