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 given process diagram illustrates the that how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity.

Overall, the process consists of 5 stages. It begin with using cold water and ends with producing electricity.

Initially, the first step involves with pumping down cold water underground. The cold water pumped down about 4.5 km long under the ground. Next, the injection well and it passes through geothermal zone which also know as hot rocks and then the production well and hot water pumped up into condenser.

Following this, in condenser steam is form and go through turbine. Consecutively, the steam is powered by turbine and produces electricity. At the end the energy is injected into the tower.

In an overview, it can be seen that geothermal power plant consists of 5 stages through which electricity is generated and how it is injected through generator to tower which supplies electricity further in cities or village.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the geothermal energy process, identifying the key steps from pumping water to electricity distribution. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview of the process as a whole. While the stages are identified, the explanation of how the components interact is occasionally unclear, such as the description of the steam passing through the turbine. The summary is functional but lacks the depth required for a higher band, as it relies on listing steps rather than synthesizing the information into a cohesive report of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. There is a basic attempt at using cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Next', 'Following this', and 'At the end'. However, the flow is somewhat disjointed, and some transitions are awkward, such as 'In an overview' used at the end of the text. The referencing is occasionally confusing, particularly in the description of the condenser and turbine interaction. The progression of ideas is present but could be smoother with more varied and precise linking words.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using technical terms like 'geothermal zone', 'injection well', 'condenser', and 'turbine'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'steam is form' instead of 'steam is formed' and 'steam is powered by turbine', which is factually and linguistically incorrect. The range of vocabulary is limited, and the repetition of basic verbs like 'pumped' and 'produces' indicates a need for more varied and precise terminology to describe industrial processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'illustrates the that how', 'It begin with', 'involves with pumping', and 'steam is form'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to verb tenses and prepositional usage is required.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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