Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-28
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 given diagram illustrates the process of how electricity is being generated through geothermal energy.
Overall, this is a multi-stage main made process that begins with the cold water pumping down towards genothermal zone and passing through the hot rocks before reaching to steam that generates the electicity.
At the very first stage, the cold water after covering the 4.5 km distance, pumped down towards the injection well. After, it passes from the injection well, it goes through the geothermal zone where it runs over the hot rocks to warm the temperature of the cold water. Then in the middle stage, after having a change in the temperature, the transformed hot water collects in the production well.
Now the hot water is ready to be pumped up to reach condenser at the next stage. The steam of the water that came out from the condenser gets turbine in the last stage and that's how electricity gets produced by powering turbine.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student successfully covers all the main stages of the geothermal energy process diagram, from the initial cold water tank and 4.5 km injection well through the hot rocks in the geothermal zone to the production well, condenser, turbine, and generator. The overview statement captures the general multi-stage nature of the process adequately. However, the development of some details is slightly imprecise, such as referring to 'steam that generates the electricity' directly rather than the turbine and generator sequence clearly, and there are some minor inaccuracies in process terminology like 'main made process'. Nonetheless, all key features are reported, fulfilling the core requirements of Task Achievement at a Band 6.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, providing a logical overall structure with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs covering the stages sequentially. Cohesive devices such as 'At the very first stage', 'After', 'Then in the middle stage', and 'Now' are used to guide the reader through the process, though some transitions are used a bit mechanically or awkwardly (e.g., 'After, it passes from the injection well'). Paragraphing is appropriately utilised, and referencing is generally clear despite occasional clunky linking phrases. This level of organisation aligns well with Band 6.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'geothermal energy', 'injection well', 'geothermal zone', 'hot rocks', 'production well', 'condenser', and 'turbine'. However, there are noticeable word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'multi-stage main made process' instead of 'man-made' or 'artificial', 'pumping down towards genothermal zone', and 'gets turbine in the last stage'. Spelling and word-choice errors do not completely impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'how electricity is being generated through geothermal energy', 'water after covering the 4.5 km distance, pumped down towards the injection well'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding verb forms, voice, and prepositions (e.g., 'cold water pumping down' instead of 'pumped down', 'reaching to steam', 'gets turbine'). These errors require some effort to decode at times, though they do not completely obscure the meaning, placing the performance securely at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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