Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-17
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)
We have given a diagram of geothermal power plant that shows how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity.
Mainly, five steps are involved in converting water into the electricity using the geothermal power plant.
This process starts from pumping, the cold water, 4.5 km down into the injection well. From the injection well it passes right to the geothermal zone, which actually are hot rocks. In the second step, water moves through the injection well to the production well. By the time water reaches to the production well it becomes hot because of moving out through the geothermal zone. Then in the third step, the hot water pumps up again to the condenser from the production well. In the fourth step, the condenser is used to convert the hot water into the steam. Later condenser passes the steam to the turbine. In turbine, eventually, the water turns into the electricity. Lastly, the turbine passes the generated electricity to the generator which distributes the electricity, for it to be actually used.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers the main stages of the geothermal power generation process, mentioning the depth of 4.5 km, the injection well, geothermal zone, production well, condenser, turbine, and generator. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the sequence and details; for instance, stating that 'in turbine, eventually, the water turns into the electricity' misrepresents the diagram, where the turbine is powered by steam and drives the generator to produce electricity. Furthermore, the overview sentence simply rephrases the prompt without outlining the key features of the cycle as required for a Band 7. Consequently, the response achieves a Band 6.0 for addressing the task with some unclear or inaccurate technical details.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text has a coherent overall arrangement and follows the linear progression of the diagram using sequencing markers such as 'starts from', 'In the second step', 'Then in the third step', and 'Lastly'. However, paragraphing is poorly handled, with the body of the essay compressed into a single lengthy block of text alongside the introduction, lacking clear visual separation of distinct phases. Referencing is occasionally faulty, such as 'moving out through the geothermal zone' and 'In turbine, eventually', which disrupts the natural flow. Cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical rather than flexible. These issues place the response firmly at Band 6.0 for coherence and cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms like 'geothermal power plant', 'injection well', 'production well', 'condenser', and 'generator'. However, there are noticeable limitations and awkward word choices, such as 'pumping, the cold water' (unnecessary comma and awkward phrasing) and 'the hot water pumps up' (should be passive: 'is pumped up'). Attempts to use less common vocabulary are sometimes imprecise. Spelling is generally accurate, but vocabulary control restricts the score to Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'By the time water reaches to the production well it becomes hot because of moving out through the geothermal zone.' However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, including missing articles ('in turbine', 'into the electricity'), incorrect prepositions ('reaches to'), and punctuation errors. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching Band 7.0, making Band 6.0 an appropriate score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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