Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-01

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 6.0)

The diagram depitcs the geothermal plant serves as prominent elericity production source. The process consists of various stages and each stage has its own importance. The production of electricty commences from the cold water tank and ends with the transfering of the elctricity for domestic use.

To begin with, in the initial step a container is filled with the cold water, which travels down the crust to 4.5km with the assitance of the water pump. Afterwards, it goes through the injection well to the geothermal zone, where it passes through hot rocks. However, the production the pushes it upwards in the very next step.

Moving further, after these steps take place the water gets hot and pumped upwards with another water pump located under the condenser. Fourth step is the cornerstone for the production of electricity as the steam from the condenser get shifted in the turbine. In the final stage, the turbine starts to revolve and when it catches the momentum the generator originates the electricity.Ultimately, towers are used for the transit of the electricity to the houses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main parts of the task by outlining the stages of how a geothermal power plant generates electricity, meeting the baseline requirements for this criterion. However, some aspects of the process are under-developed or inaccurately described. For example, the explanation of the water flow between the injection well and the production well is slightly confused, and the distinction between the geothermal zone and the condenser is muddled. While an overview is attempted in the introduction, the overall progression of the process lacks complete clarity, resulting in a performance that covers the task partially rather than fully. To reach a higher level, the writer should ensure all key stages are accurately reported without logical gaps or confusing descriptions of the physical components.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological progression from the initial cold water tank to the final transmission towers. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction from the body stages, and basic cohesive devices are employed, such as 'To begin with', 'Moving further', and 'In the final stage'. However, cohesion can sometimes feel mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally faulty, such as in the phrase 'the production the pushes it upwards' where pronoun reference is unclear. To progress to the next band, the writer needs to employ a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that the transitions between steps are smoother and more logically unified.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to accomplish the task, successfully using terms like 'generation', 'container', 'crust', and 'momentum'. Nevertheless, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that detract from the overall quality, including typos such as 'depitcs' instead of 'depicts' and 'elericity' instead of 'electricity', alongside awkward phrasing like 'originates the electricity'. Less common lexical items are attempted but often marred by inaccuracies in word form or collocation. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand their vocabulary range, improve spelling control, and use terms with greater precision and stylistic appropriateness for an academic description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting complex clauses with varying degrees of success. There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and article usage that can cause some difficulty for the reader, such as missing articles ('with the cold water' instead of 'with cold water'), incorrect prepositions, and awkward verb agreement ('the production the pushes'). Although meaning is generally conveyed despite these errors, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the response from achieving a higher band. To improve, the writer should focus on mastering basic sentence mechanics, refining verb forms, and ensuring accurate prepositions within grammatical patterns.

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

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