Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The pictorial representation illustrates the information related to the process involved in production of electricity through geothermal energy.

Overall, five crucial steps are involved in the production of electricity. The process begins when cold water is pumped down and end with the production of electricity through a generator.

Initially, cold water is pumped down towards the ground in a injection well till the depth of approximately 4.5 kilometers where it comes in contact with hot rocks. Moreover, the underground zone where cold water come in contact with hot rocks is known as a geothermal zone. Afterwards, hot water come out from another side of ground and condenser is placed over it which collects steam from hot water. Furthermore, with the help turbines, steam get converted into electricity. Then electricity shifted into the generators and with help of them they are tranfered into electrical towers from where towns and cities receive electricity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all key stages of the geothermal energy production process, from pumping cold water underground to the final generation and transmission of electricity. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining that five main steps are involved. Key features such as the 4.5 km depth, the geothermal zone, the production well, the condenser, and the turbine/generator sequence are accurately reported. The response meets the minimum word count requirement with 151 words. However, the explanation of how the turbine and generator interact is slightly imprecise ('Then electricity shifted into the generators'), but overall, the task is addressed adequately, meriting a Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph detailing the process stages. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Moreover', 'Afterwards', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader through the sequence of steps. However, paragraphing is somewhat underutilized, as the entire body of the process is compressed into a single, dense paragraph. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as 'with help of them they are tranfered', which slightly disrupts the flow of information. Despite these minor cohesive faults, the overall progression is clear, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a technical process, incorporating terms such as 'pictorial representation', 'geothermal zone', 'condenser', and 'turbines'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'in a injection well' (should be 'an injection well'), 'hot water come out' (should be 'comes out'), and spelling errors like 'tranfered' (transferred). Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision. Because the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main message despite these flaws, it fits the descriptor for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and time markers ('The process begins when...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('cold water come in contact', 'hot water come out'), articles ('a injection well'), and prepositions ('towards the ground in a injection well'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips are common enough to impede smooth reading in places, aligning closely with Band 5.5 descriptors.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.