Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-17
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 5.0)
The diagram illustrates how geothermal power plant is used to produce electricity.
Overall, geothermal energy process consist of five stages to generate electrical energy, beginning with storing cold water and ending with producing power.
To begin with, cold water is stored. After that it pumped down to 4.5 kilometers under the earth. Next the water pass trough the injection well. Before reaching to the production well it creates geothermal zone between injection well and production well. Subsequently hot rocks convert cold water into hot water. Following this hot water pumped up to the ground through the production well.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is significantly under-length at 98 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While the student identifies the main stages of the geothermal process, the description is too brief to provide a comprehensive summary or to make meaningful comparisons. The lack of detail regarding the final stages of the process (such as the turbine and generator) means the information is not fully developed. To improve, the student must expand on all parts of the diagram to ensure the summary is complete and meets the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction and a sequential description of the process. The use of cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'After that', 'Next', and 'Subsequently' helps to guide the reader through the stages. However, because the response is so short, the overall progression feels abrupt. Paragraphing is present but limited by the brevity of the text. To achieve a higher score, the student should aim for more sophisticated linking phrases and ensure that the flow between sentences is smoother and more varied.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is functional but basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'cold water' and 'hot water' are used repeatedly, and there is a lack of technical terminology appropriate for a process description (e.g., 'geothermal reservoir', 'steam', 'turbine'). There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'geothermal power plant is used' (missing an article) and 'pass trough' (spelling error). To improve, the student should incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary and focus on using a wider range of synonyms to avoid repetition.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains several grammatical errors that affect clarity. There are missing articles ('geothermal power plant', 'injection well'), subject-verb agreement issues ('it pumped' instead of 'it is pumped'), and preposition errors ('reaching to'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors is noticeable. To improve, the student should focus on basic sentence construction, specifically the passive voice, which is essential for describing processes, and ensure articles and prepositions are used correctly.
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.