Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-23

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 depicting how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity.

Overall, there are several stages included in producing electricity. Starting the process from cold water to geothermal zone to the production well. This process last in turbine to generator.

To begin with it is cleared that cold water which stored in a tank pumped down to the injection well about 4.5 under the soil. Here the water being heated by hot rocks in geothermal zone. Then it sent to production well where hot water pumped up to condenser. This stage had very fast rotating turbine , they converted the water in steam. At last this steam hot water sent to generator and here electericity being produced . After producing the electricity it sent to use for public.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count of 150 words, coming in at only 128 words, which incurs a penalty under Task Achievement. On a content level, the student attempts to describe the main stages of the geothermal power plant process, identifying the cold water tank, injection well (4.5 km deep), geothermal zone with hot rocks, production well, condenser, turbine, and generator. However, the description is quite brief and lacks fully developed detail. The opening sentence is a fragment ('The diagram depicting how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity.'), and the overview is rudimentary. While key stages are mentioned, the lack of length and depth prevents the response from achieving a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response attempts basic logical sequencing, starting with an introductory overview and progressing through the steps of the cycle. However, paragraphing is poorly handled, with the main body compressed into a single, dense paragraph alongside a fragmented introduction. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes awkward (e.g., 'Starting the process from cold water...', 'This process last in turbine to generator'). Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'This stage had very fast rotating turbine , they converted the water in steam.' The overall progression is disjointed, leading to a modest coherence score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, reflecting a limited range appropriate for the task. The student successfully employs some process-specific terms derived from the prompt, such as 'geothermal zone', 'injection well', 'production well', 'condenser', 'turbine', and 'generator'. However, there are notable word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'last' instead of 'lasts', 'cleared' instead of 'clear', 'electericity', and awkward phrasing like 'water in steam' instead of 'water into steam'. The lexical control is generally minimally adequate but constrained by frequent slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical structure of the response is weak. The opening sentence lacks a main verb and is a complete fragment ('The diagram depicting...'). There is an overreliance on simple or poorly constructed passive and active forms containing missing auxiliary verbs and prepositions (e.g., 'cold water which stored in a tank pumped down', 'about 4.5 under the soil', 'the water being heated'). Complex sentence structures are attempted but are frequently faulty. Punctuation errors, such as spaces before commas, also detract from the overall accuracy, meaning errors occur frequently and occasionally impede smooth reading.

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

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