Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-03
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 flowchart describes a process in which electricity is generated by utilising geothermal energy.
Overall, this procedure involves five different stages. Starting from the pumping the cold water by the injection well, it reaches the condenser. The formed steam is passed to the turbine to produce electricity.
Initially, the cold water is pumped downward around 4.5 km depth. Arriving at the injection well it reacts with the hot rocks underneth the surface in the geothermal region causing the rise in the temperature of water supplied. This water is later sent to the production well which pulls back the water at high temperature upwards. This method is called geothermal energy.
The water further arrives at the level of condenser for the process of condensation. As a result, the hot water is converted into steam. In the next stage, the spinning turbine is powered by the stream produced. Lastly, due to this reaction with the steam the turbine produces electricity to the generator.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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, identifying the key components like the injection well, production well, condenser, and turbine. However, the description contains some inaccuracies regarding the process flow. For example, the text states the water reaches the condenser before the production well, whereas the diagram shows the production well brings the hot water up to the surface first. Additionally, the explanation of the 'reaction' with hot rocks is slightly vague. To reach a higher band, ensure that the sequence of steps strictly follows the provided diagram and that the technical relationships between components are described with greater precision.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, and the use of cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'In the next stage', and 'Lastly' helps guide the reader through the process. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the phrase 'due to this reaction with the steam' in the final paragraph, which is not clearly linked to the preceding information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different phases of the energy production cycle.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with relevant technical terms such as 'geothermal energy', 'injection well', 'condenser', and 'turbine' used correctly. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'underneth' (underneath) and 'stream' (steam). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the process, but it lacks the more sophisticated collocations or precise descriptive language that would characterize a higher band. The repetition of basic verbs like 'reaches' and 'arrives' limits the lexical variety.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'Starting from the pumping the cold water' (incorrect article/gerund usage) and 'causes the rise in the temperature of water supplied' (missing article). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'produces electricity to the generator'. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication. To improve, focus on article usage and ensuring that complex sentence structures are constructed with greater accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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