Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-03
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 how electricity is produced by using geothermal energy. The diagram explains the whole process of producing electricity by geothermal energy at a geothermal power plant.
At a geothermal power plant, first of all, cold water from a reservoir is pumped deep down into the depth of 4.5 kilometers. Second step "the injection well", cold water is passed through hot rocks present in the deep layers of the Earth. These hot rocks increase the temperature of the cold water when passing from geothermal zone. After that, such hot water is pumped up to the surface of the Earth and goes directly into the condenser. Inside the condenser, hot water is converted into steam, which further goes into the turbine. Steam runs the turbine, although this turbine powers the generator and electricity is produced. At last, electricity runs through electricity polls providing current to the households, industries, power stations and wherever it is needed.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the main task by outlining how a geothermal power plant produces electricity, meeting the minimum word count. However, it sits at this level because some key stages and features are under-developed or presented with limited clarity. For instance, the overview lacks a clear summary of the overall process or main stages, and the description relies heavily on simple mechanical listing rather than fully reporting and comparing features. Details such as the condenser stage are rushed, and the mention of 'electricity polls providing current to the households' introduces information not present in the diagram, showing a tendency to drift into general knowledge rather than strictly reporting the visual data provided.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text displays a coherent overall arrangement and follows the chronological sequence of the diagram using basic transition markers such as 'first of all', 'Second step', 'After that', and 'At last'. However, cohesion is somewhat mechanical and repetitive, and paragraphing is underdeveloped, as the entire body of the report is clumped into just two blocks without a clear, independent introduction or overview paragraph. Referencing and logical progression between sentences occasionally feel abrupt, particularly in the transition from the condenser to electricity generation, where cohesive links could be managed more smoothly to guide the reader effortlessly through the complex sequence of steps.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic information about the plant, such as 'geothermal energy', 'reservoir', 'temperature', and 'generator'. However, the range is limited and contains noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'into the depth of 4.5 kilometers' instead of 'to a depth of', and 'Second step "the injection well"' which lacks grammatical integration. Attempts at less common vocabulary are sparse, and minor lexical inaccuracies occasionally distract the reader, preventing the response from achieving a higher band for vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, such as 'Steam runs the turbine, although this turbine powers the generator...'. However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent, with frequent errors in prepositions ('into the depth', 'passing from geothermal zone'), articles ('to the surface of the Earth' vs 'goes directly into the condenser'), and awkward clausal connectors ('although this turbine powers...'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur regularly throughout the text, limiting the sentence structures and accuracy to this level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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