Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-18
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 5.0)
The diagram gives information about how hydrothermal energy used to create electricity.
Overall, this is a short and simple process which include five steps. The process starts with the stage of pumped down cold water and ends with the production of electricity.
Initially, in the first stage the cold water pumped down in earth in the distance of 4.5km after it the injection well in geothermal zone means hot rocks.
Furthermore, in the third stage the production well and hot water pumped up from the ground of earth. the fourth stage is condenser to stream the hot air n turbine which id extract form the hot water and in the last stage turbine rotates and produce electricity.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the geothermal energy diagram, identifying the start and end points and mentioning key components like the injection well, depth of 4.5km, hot rocks, production well, condenser, turbine, and generator. However, the response falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum length requirement, containing only 117 words. This under-length penalty directly impacts the Task Achievement score, as the description remains brief and lacks full extension or detailed development of the stages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is structured into an introduction with an overview, and a brief body section. The writer attempts to sequence the process using transition words such as 'Overall', 'Initially', 'Furthermore', and 'in the last stage'. However, logical progression is frequently disrupted by broken syntax and unclear referencing, making some sentences difficult to follow, particularly in the final paragraph where multiple steps are condensed awkwardly into a single run-on sentence. Paragraphing is also rudimentary.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and heavily reliant on direct lifting from the prompt and diagram labels, such as 'geothermal energy', 'electricity', 'injection well', 'hot rocks', 'condenser', and 'turbine'. There are numerous word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'hydrothermal energy used to create' instead of 'how hydrothermal energy is used', and 'stream the hot air' instead of 'steam'. The limited range and frequent lexical inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
Grammatical control is weak throughout the response. The text contains several major grammatical errors and missing essential verbs, such as 'how hydrothermal energy used to create' (missing auxiliary/passive structure), 'the cold water pumped down in earth' (missing verb), and 'which id extract form' (typographical and grammatical errors). Simple sentences are attempted, but complex structures are either absent or severely flawed. Punctuation is also erratic, with run-on phrasing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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