Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-30

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 4.0)

The illustration depicts the process of manufacturing instant noodles.

Overall, it can be seen that the process by which instant noodles are manufactured is a multistep linear process which consists of 8 different stages and a number of different tools and infrastructure. The process starts with storage silos and ends with both labeling and sealing.

In the first stage, from a truck, flour is stored into bulk silos. Then, flour is transmitted to a mixer where it is mixed with both water and oil. In addition, the mixed noodles are transformed into dough sheets by rollers. Following this, dough sheets are also converted into dough strips.

In stage six, diagram shows usually simultaneous frying and drying. Then, noodles are packed into cups where toppings such as vegetables and spices are added. In the last and final stage, these mixed noodles with vegetables and spices are labelled and sealed on cups.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 1.0

The response suffers from a major task misunderstanding. While the prompt asks for a summary of a diagram showing how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity, the student describes a completely different process regarding the manufacturing of instant noodles (e.g., mentioning 'flour', 'storage silos', 'mixer', 'dough sheets', and 'frying'). Because the writing is entirely off-topic and describes a process that does not exist in the provided source image, it fails to address the core requirements of Task 1. In accordance with the assessment criteria for completely irrelevant responses, a low band score must be assigned for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

Despite being off-topic regarding the content, the essay demonstrates some structural organisation. The text is divided into logical paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing sequential steps. Cohesive devices such as 'In the first stage', 'Then', 'In addition', and 'Following this' are used appropriately to sequence the steps of the described noodle-making process. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and helps maintain a coherent flow of information throughout the response, even though the subject matter is incorrect.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for describing an industrial manufacturing process, featuring words such as 'infrastructure', 'transmitted', 'transformer', 'simultaneous', and 'labelled'. However, because the vocabulary describes an entirely incorrect topic (instant noodle production instead of a geothermal power plant), the lexical choice is entirely inappropriate for the prompt. Nevertheless, looking at the language produced in isolation, the words are spelled correctly and function reasonably well within the context of a factory process.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates control over a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Examples such as 'Overall, it can be seen that the process by which instant noodles are manufactured is a multistep linear process...' show a decent grasp of relative clauses and passive voice constructions ('is manufactured', 'are mixed', 'are packed'). There are minor awkwardness issues, such as 'flour is stored into bulk silos' (where 'stored in' would be more natural), but overall the grammar does not impede comprehension of the text itself.

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

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