Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-20

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 below illustrates how geothermal used to generate electricity.

Overall, this diagram is a cyclical process and man made also where consists of 5 main stages . The material used in geothermal is water .

First of all the cold water pumped 4.5 km down through the injection well .there was a hot rocks which makes water hot . The hot water pumped up by the help of production well

Secondly ,hot water is in condenser steam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 78 words long. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. The description of the process is incomplete, stopping abruptly after the second stage. Important features of the diagram, such as the turbine, generator, and the return of water to the injection well, are entirely omitted. To improve, you must describe the entire process from start to finish, ensuring all key stages shown in the diagram are included in your summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response attempts to use basic cohesive devices like 'First of all' and 'Secondly', but the progression is severely hampered by the lack of content. The paragraphing is ineffective because the text is too short to establish a logical structure. The ideas are not well-linked, and the abrupt ending makes the overall flow disjointed. To improve, ensure you have a clear introduction, a body paragraph that logically sequences the steps of the process, and a concluding summary of the main features.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms such as 'water', 'hot', and 'pumped'. There is a lack of technical vocabulary appropriate for describing a mechanical process, such as 'geothermal reservoir', 'steam turbine', or 'electricity generation'. The phrasing 'man made also where consists of' is awkward and unnatural. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to energy production and processes, and work on using more precise verbs and nouns to describe the stages of the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the short text. Examples include 'how geothermal used to generate' (missing 'is'), 'there was a hot rocks' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'by the help of' (unnatural collocation). The sentence structures are simple and lack the complexity required for higher bands. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods and unnecessary commas. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles and prepositions.

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

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