Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-02
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 illustrates the procedue of geothermal energy is used to produce the electricity through the 5 steps.
Overall, in geothermal plant prcoess of production electricity consist of 5 overall steps. It start with the cold water and in the middle of the process the water changes their temperature and become hot then it steam and end the process in generator turbine to the elecctric poles.
Firstly,how geothermal power plant produce electricity start with the cold water its pumped down a 4.5 km into the injection well then change its position to right side through the geothermal zone (hot rocks) into the production well then cold water pumped up direct into condenser for the steaming process. After the steam into the last step of the process generator turbine, In this step powred by steam into the powered by turbine and produces electricity through the electric poles in the whole city.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses the main parts of the task by outlining the five steps of how a geothermal power plant produces electricity. It mentions key features such as cold water being pumped down 4.5 km into the injection well, passing through the geothermal zone to become hot, and moving towards the production well and condenser. However, some ideas are under-developed or unclear, particularly towards the end where the description of the steam, turbine, and generator becomes jumbled, such as in the phrase 'end the process in generator turbine to the elecctric poles.' To reach a higher level, the response would need to present a clearer, more fully developed overview and extend the reporting of the final stages of the process with greater precision and clarity.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical sequence mirroring the diagram's stages, beginning with an introduction, moving to an overview, and then detailing the steps. Paragraphing is attempted to separate the introduction, overview, and body details. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty and mechanical, with repetitive phrasing and weak transitional links between sentences. For example, sentences in the final paragraph run together awkwardly without precise cohesive devices, such as 'Firstly,how geothermal power plant produce electricity start with the cold water its pumped down...'. Referencing is not always clear, and improving the variety and accuracy of cohesive ties would enhance the overall flow and progression of the writing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, providing basic terms related to the diagram such as 'cold water', 'injection well', 'hot rocks', and 'turbine'. However, there is a limited range of vocabulary, and noticeable word choice errors and awkward collocations occur throughout the text, including 'procedue', 'prcoess of production electricity', and 'elecctric poles'. Spelling errors are also present, such as 'powred' and 'elecctric'. While communication is generally maintained despite these flaws, the reliance on basic terminology and recurring lexical inaccuracies prevent the response from achieving a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently flawed. There are notable grammatical errors, including missing auxiliary verbs, incorrect prepositions, and faulty subject-verb agreement, as seen in 'geothermal energy is used to produce the electricity' and 'its pumped down a 4.5 km into the injection well'. Punctuation is also weak, with run-on sentences lacking proper punctuation marks. While these errors rarely impede the overall communication of the core process, they are persistent enough to reflect a limited command of grammatical structures and accuracy.
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