Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-26
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)
The diagram shows hand electricity is produced by geothermal entre. There are five general steps in this process. First, in a big box connected underground cold water is accumulated in order to be pumped down about 4.5 km.
After that, water is heated passing trough hot rocks called geothermal zone and it is pumped up in order to be condensere in a big container. At this point water is in a gas state and it is put in turbine which energy can be produced. Finally energy is translated to a energy tower.
In summery, the geothermal power plant is used to creat energy in some steps, heating cold water by a geothermal zone and condensering it in order to put in a geothermal turbine which is who produce the energy to be used.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the main steps of the geothermal energy production process, successfully identifying key features such as the 4.5 km depth, the injection of cold water, the geothermal zone, the production well, and the turbine/generator stage. However, the response falls below the required 150-word minimum, containing only 133 words, which limits the overall development and completeness of the task. Additionally, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting the process details, such as confusing the condenser with the turbine stage and omitting the electricity pylon connection clearly shown in the visual. To achieve a higher band, the writer must ensure the word count requirement is met and describe each stage of the process with greater precision and elaboration.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text demonstrates a basic overall progression, guiding the reader from the initial water tank through the underground cycle to the generation of electricity. The writer uses some sequencing devices such as 'First', 'After that', and 'Finally' to connect ideas. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, with the entire body of the text lumped into a single block alongside a brief concluding paragraph. Furthermore, referencing is sometimes unclear, as seen in the phrase 'which energy can be produced', where the relative pronoun does not logically link to the preceding noun. Cohesive devices are used mechanically rather than flexibly, reflecting Band 6 performance characteristics.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the basic process, incorporating terms like 'accumulated', 'geothermal zone', 'container', and 'gas state'. However, there are frequent word-choice and spelling errors that detract from the writing, such as 'hand' instead of 'how', 'entre' instead of 'energy', 'trough' instead of 'through', 'condensere', and 'summery' instead of 'summary'. Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision and accuracy. While the vocabulary is adequate to convey the general meaning, the persistent spelling and lexical slips keep this criterion at Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'water is heated passing trough hot rocks called geothermal zone'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring multiple structural and punctuation errors throughout the text, such as 'cold water is accumulated in order to be pumped down', missing articles ('in turbine'), and awkward phrasing ('which is who produce the energy'). These errors frequently impede smooth reading and demonstrate limited control over complex sentence structures, aligning closely with the Band 5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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