Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-15

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 6.0)

The diagram provides the information about the stages involved in production of thermal electricity through the hydro power.

Overall, it is clear that it is man-made process and consists several stages in the process. it begins when the cold water injected into the down and concludes with the generation of the electricity.

The process begins when cold water pumped around 4.5 km in the underground surface. The water are collected by the injection well. Once this step is completed, the cold water moves surrounding the hot rocks in the geothermal zone. Meanwhile, the hot water travels into the production well. This all stages are taken in the below the surface.

Following the step, hot water is stored in the the production well. After storage is completed, the hot water pumped out and stream is produced by the condenser. To the next stage, steam hits turbine. Turbine rotates in circular motion and produce power. Generator procudes electricity by the help of turbine's power. In the final stage, the electric power is stored in the thermal grid.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key stages of the geothermal energy process, from pumping cold water underground through a 4.5 km injection well to the generation of electricity via turbines and generators. An overview is present, noting that it is a man-made process consisting of several stages. However, there are some inaccuracies and misinterpretations of the visual data. For instance, the student refers to 'thermal electricity through the hydro power', which misrepresents the nature of geothermal energy, and states that 'electric power is stored in the thermal grid' rather than transmitted via pylon. While the main steps are identified, these conceptual errors and minor misreadings of the diagram prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction and an overall summary, which provides a logical structure. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'The process begins', 'Once this step is completed', and 'In the final stage' are used to guide the reader through the sequence. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward transitions like 'To the next stage' and repetitive phrasing ('The process begins', 'Following the step'). Paragraphing is generally appropriate, but the overall progression could be smoother and more naturally linked.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting process-related terms such as 'generation', 'condenser', 'turbine', and 'injection well'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and inappropriate word choices, such as referring to geothermal energy as 'hydro power', describing steam as 'stream', and using 'procudes' instead of 'produces'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, and spelling or word-choice errors occasionally disrupt the flow, placing the response firmly in the band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The diagram provides the information about the stages involved...' and 'The process begins when cold water pumped around 4.5 km in the underground surface.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly missing auxiliary verbs and prepositions (e.g., 'when cold water pumped' instead of 'when cold water is pumped', 'in the underground surface' instead of 'underground'), subject-verb agreement issues ('The water are collected'), and article misuse ('in the the production well'). These errors persist throughout the text, though they rarely impede overall comprehension.

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

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