Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-16
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 diagram gives the informations about how geothermal energy is used to make electricity.
Overall, all the process are necessary, remaining of single step can cause the whole process.
It is crystal clear from the diagram, starting step of the process is collecting cold water and pumped it 4.5km down to the injection well. Moreover, the next step is creating flow of cold water from injection well to the production well, between them these is the geothermal zone (hot rock) which increase the temperature of H2O.
Remaining data shows that, pumped up hot water from the production well, after that the liquid becomes condenser and its steam goes to turbine.. Furthermore,
in turbine the steam runs very rapidly and produce the power of turbine. However, the another clue is, steam arrive to the generator and the generator is powered by turbine and it produce electricity. The generators is connected to the towers, towers provide limited electricity to accomodations, industries hospital, and school etecetra.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| 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 cold water to the distribution of electricity. However, the overview is weak and confusing; the sentence 'remaining of single step can cause the whole process' is unclear and does not effectively summarise the main trend or purpose of the diagram. While the key features are identified, the description lacks precision in explaining the technical transition from steam to electricity. The response would benefit from a more cohesive summary of the cycle and a clearer explanation of how the components interact to achieve the final output.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, the use of 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore' feels forced rather than natural. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'the another clue is', which is an inappropriate way to introduce a new step in a process. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs is disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of events smoothly. Improved use of linking words and clearer signposting would significantly enhance the coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally limited and contains several inaccuracies. Phrases like 'gives the informations' (information is uncountable) and 'the liquid becomes condenser' (the liquid goes through a condenser) demonstrate a lack of control over technical and general vocabulary. There are also spelling errors such as 'etecetra' and 'accomodations'. While the student attempts to use process-related terms like 'injection well' and 'geothermal zone', the overall range is narrow, and the misuse of words often forces the reader to guess the intended meaning. A wider range of precise, topic-specific vocabulary is needed.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('all the process are', 'the generators is connected'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or poorly constructed, such as 'pumped up hot water from the production well, after that the liquid becomes condenser'. The range of structures is limited, relying mostly on simple sentences with some attempts at complex ones that are often grammatically incorrect. To improve, the student should focus on basic sentence construction, verb tense consistency, and the correct use of plural/singular forms.
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