Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-15
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)
The given diagram illustrate the process by which geothermal energy is converted into electricity.
Overall, this process involves five main steps, starting with cold water pumped underground and ending with generating electricity, which is generated by turbines and generator. The main points is heat which is present inside the earth that use to performs underground water transform in steam.
First, cold water is stored in a tank and pumped down around 4.5 km in ground through the injection well into geothermal zone of hot rocks. As the water passes through these rocks, it is heated to the high temperature. Next, hot water is pumped up through production well and transfer in condenser.
Once, hot water reaches above the ground enters in condenser, where it is converted into steam. Steam is directly moves toward turbines, it causing turbines flaps starts rotating. This turbine is connected with generator, which is turbines moves and it gives energy to generator and after electricity produced. Finally, on completion of electricity production, the electricity is transferred to power plant
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| 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 cold water to the final production of electricity. The overview is clear, identifying the five main steps. However, the description of the process is slightly repetitive and lacks precision in technical terminology. For instance, the explanation of how the turbine interacts with the generator is somewhat confusingly phrased ('this turbine is connected with generator, which is turbines moves'). While all parts of the task are addressed, the development of the final stages could be more accurate to the provided diagram to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction/overview followed by the process steps. Cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Next', 'Once', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader through the sequence. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. Some sentences, such as 'Once, hot water reaches above the ground enters in condenser', lack necessary articles or prepositions, which makes the progression feel slightly disjointed. Overall, the information is arranged coherently, but the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'geothermal zone', 'injection well', 'condenser', and 'turbines'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'perform underground water transform' instead of 'facilitate the transformation of underground water'. The repetition of 'electricity' and 'water' suggests a limited range. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise verbs and nouns related to mechanical processes and energy production, and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Subject-verb agreement issues are common, such as 'The given diagram illustrate' (should be 'illustrates') and 'Steam is directly moves' (should be 'moves'). There are also missing articles ('in ground', 'in condenser') and awkward phrasing that impacts clarity. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. More attention to basic syntax and proofreading for small grammatical slips is recommended.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.