Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-13
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 4.0)
the process diagram illustrate how geothermal energy is used to gain electricity and the information by selecting and reporting the main features , and comparison in the following paragraph .
overall , they have show the process geothermal power plant . the cold water into pumped down the injection and geothermal zone hot rocks the production well the hot water pumped up are condenser powered by steam powered turbine and produces electricity .
firstly , geothermal power plant cold water is pumped down 4.5 km in the injection well and geothermal zone hot rocks the production well hot water pumped up into condenser steam powered by generator powered by the turbine .
secondly , in compare cold water and hot water , cold water is pumped into the down and the hot water pumped into up and compare the condenser are steam poered by turbine and produce the electricity .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response attempts to cover the main features of the geothermal energy diagram, but the mechanical copying of prompt instructions at the opening and the fragmented, telegraphic bullet-like sentences limit development. While the writer mentions key stages such as the injection well, hot rocks, production well, condenser, and turbine, the information lacks clarity and accurate synthesis. The relationships between the stages are poorly explained, leading to an under-developed overview of the process. Consequently, this performance aligns closely with Band 4.0 descriptors, where the response covers the task only minimally and suffers from a lack of clear development and a failure to accurately report the main features.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The text is organized into brief paragraphs with transition markers like 'firstly' and 'secondly', but the overall arrangement lacks logical progression and coherence. Sentences are fractured and disjointed, making it very difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of the diagram. Referencing is frequently unclear, and cohesive devices are used inappropriately, such as 'in compare cold water and hot water'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs fails to establish a clear logical flow. These characteristics match Band 4.0, where information and ideas are not arranged coherently and progression is largely absent.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is extremely basic, repetitive, and heavily reliant on direct lifting from the prompt and diagram labels, such as 'geothermal energy', 'cold water', 'hot water', 'injection well', and 'production well'. There are significant word choice and collocation errors, such as 'gain electricity', 'hot rocks the production well', and 'steam poered'. These lexical inadequacies and frequent errors strain the reader's understanding and severely limit the precision of the description, placing the response firmly at Band 4.0 for lexical resource.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The writing demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures. Most sentences are ungrammatical fragments lacking main verbs or containing severe structural errors, such as 'the cold water into pumped down the injection' and 'condenser steam powered by generator powered by the turbine'. Errors are pervasive and frequently distort the intended meaning, causing significant difficulty for the reader. There is a complete lack of accurate complex sentence forms. This level of grammatical control corresponds to Band 4.0, characterized by frequent errors that distort meaning and a very limited structural range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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