Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-27

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 explains the way in which geothermal energy can be used to produce electricity.

Overall, There are five different stages begenning with storing of cold water and culmunating in producing electricty through generator and turbine.

To beging, The cold water or running water is first collected. This water is then pumped below the earth surface around 4.5 km deep through the injection well which Passes through Geothermal zone of hot rocks that heat up the water. Then the hot water is pumped up the surface through production well and gathered in a condenser.

In the subsequent stage, The sotred hot water produces steam which is passed on to the turbine through an oppenbing chamber powering it to rotate in a maximum speed. The rotating turbine is connected with the generater. Finally, the Generator powered by rotating turbine helps to produce the electricity which is then distributed through electric poles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all main steps of the process diagram, from the initial collection of cold water to the final generation of electricity. An overview is provided, stating that there are five stages beginning with cold water storage and culminating in electricity generation. Key features such as the 4.5 km depth, the injection and production wells, the geothermal zone, the condenser, turbine, and generator are all correctly identified and reported in a logical sequence. The information is fully grounded in the provided visual data without significant omissions or inventions, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 task response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the process. The student effectively uses sequencing markers such as 'Overall', 'To begin', and 'In the subsequent stage' to guide the reader through the stages of the diagram. Paragraphing is used appropriately, separating the introduction/overview from the body details. However, there are minor issues with cohesion and referencing, such as occasional mechanical linking and some run-on phrasing, which keeps the response at Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms like 'injection well', 'production well', 'condenser', 'turbine', and 'generator'. However, there are numerous spelling errors throughout the text, including 'begenning' (beginning), 'culmunating' (culminating), 'electricty' (electricity), 'beging' (begin), 'sotred' (stored), 'oppenbing' (opening), and 'generater' (generator). These spelling slips and occasional awkward word choices prevent the lexical score from reaching Band 6.5, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'powering it to rotate in a maximum speed' and 'powered by rotating turbine'). There are several grammatical and punctuation errors, including capitalization errors ('To beging, The...'), missing articles, and awkward prepositions (e.g., 'below the earth surface around 4.5 km deep'). Although these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency across the short text prevents the score from exceeding Band 5.5.

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