Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-14
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 process diagram demonstrates the production of electricity with the use of geothermal energy in geothermal power plant. Overall, it is noaticeable that the process contain linear, 5 steps. It begins with the presence of cold water and ends on the production of electricity in power plant.
Turning to the details,the cold water is pumped down towards the injected well, which has 4.5 km depth. Secondly,the cold water has been moved toward the geothermal zone which has hot rocks for heating water, then the hot water passed to the production well. Afterward, hot water is pumped up to the condenser. It produces steam with the help of turbines where production of electricity is started. Lastly, generator is powdered by turbine and produces electricity. This generator is directly connected to the transformer. From this point, electricity is delivered to houses in the world.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides an overview of the geothermal electricity production process, noting its general steps and features. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the visual data, such as stating that electricity is delivered to 'houses in the world' rather than specifically homes or businesses connected to the grid. More importantly, the response fails to meet the minimum length requirement, containing only 142 words compared to the required 150 words. This under-length shortfall directly impacts the task achievement score, as it prevents full development and coverage of all key features and comparisons required in Academic Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The writing has a clear overall arrangement and follows the chronological sequence of the diagram using basic cohesive devices such as 'Secondly', 'Afterward', and 'Lastly'. However, paragraphing is somewhat problematic; the text is split into an introduction and a single large body paragraph, which makes it harder to navigate the distinct stages of the process. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as 'This generator is directly connected...', and the progression feels slightly mechanical due to repetitive transitional phrases. Cohesion is functional overall, but lacks the flexibility and paragraphing control associated with higher band scores.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using process-specific terms such as 'geothermal zone', 'condenser', 'turbines', 'generator', and 'transformer'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, including 'noaticeable' instead of 'noticeable', 'contain' instead of 'contains', and 'powdered' instead of 'powered'. While these lexical errors do not completely impede communication, they restrict the score to a band 6.0. The use of less common vocabulary is attempted, but accuracy remains inconsistent throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and passive forms ('cold water is pumped down', 'hot water is pumped up'). However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing instances, such as 'ends on the production' instead of 'ends with', and missing articles ('in geothermal power plant' instead of 'in a geothermal power plant'). Complex structures are occasionally faulty, but the majority of simple sentences are clear enough to ensure that communication is rarely impeded. Punctuation is generally acceptable, though spacing errors like missing commas after transition words are present.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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