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 diagram illustrates how geothermal enery is used to generate electricity.
Overall, power plant that generates the elctricity based on five steps and each step is necessory to complete before moving to the next. The whole process consist of water container,two wells,condenser and other stages were performed in generator turbine.
Firstly, a cold water tanker is connected to the injection well which was 4.5km in depth and cold water pumped down to the geothermal zone that contained the hot rocks. These hot rocks turned the cold water into hot. Afterward, geothermal zone attached with the production well and in which hot water pumped up to the condenser.
Moreover, in the condenser hot water converted to steam and pass to the generator turbine. Turbine contain a roller that rotates by the power of steam and then finally a rectangular box produce the electricity which was powered by turbin. Lastly, the generated electricity transfer to the electric tower by using the cables.
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 electricity distribution. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview of the process as a whole. While the key features are identified, the explanation of the 'geothermal zone' and the transition between the condenser and the turbine is slightly imprecise. To reach a higher band, you should focus on providing a more cohesive summary of the cycle rather than just listing the steps sequentially. The inclusion of specific details, such as the 4.5km depth, is a positive feature that demonstrates an attempt to report the provided data accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Afterward', 'Moreover', and 'Lastly' to signal the progression of the steps. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit rigid, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'geothermal zone attached with the production well'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns or references clearly point back to previous nouns would enhance the overall coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the technical process. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'enery' instead of 'energy', 'elctricity' instead of 'electricity', 'necessory' instead of 'necessary', and 'turbin' instead of 'turbine'. These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, you should aim to use more precise technical terminology and ensure accuracy in spelling. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated verbs or nouns related to energy production would also be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles (e.g., 'a cold water tanker', 'the generator turbine') and verb forms (e.g., 'process consist of', 'hot water converted to steam'). Some sentences are missing necessary prepositions or auxiliary verbs, which affects the overall accuracy. While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve the quality of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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