Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-05

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 6.5)

The diagram ilustrates process by which a geothermal power plant generates electricity using hot rocks beneath the ground.

Overall, the process consists of five main stages,beginning with cold water being pumped approximately 4.5 kilometers underground and ending with electricity being generated by a turbine and generator. The heated water is also converted into steam,which drives the turbine.

Initially, cold water is pumped down through an injection well to a depth of around 4.5 kilometers.it then pasess horizonatlly through the geothermal zone,where hot rocks heat the water.Subesequently, the heated water is pumped back to the surface through a separate production well.

Once above ground, the hot water enters a condenser,where it produces steam. The steam is then directed towards a turbine and finally the rotating turbine powers a generator,which produces electricity.The electricity generated is then transmitted through power lines for use.

Overall, geothermal energy is produced through a continous cycle in which water is heated naturally by underground rocks and the resulting steam is used to generate electricity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview of the process and reporting the main stages involved in generating electricity from a geothermal power plant. Key features, such as the 4.5-kilometer depth, the injection and production wells, the geothermal zone, the condenser, turbine, and generator, are accurately selected and described. The progression of the cycle is logically presented from the initial pumping of cold water down to the final electricity transmission. While the overview is slightly repetitive in its second appearance at the end of the text, the ideas are sufficiently extended and supported to meet the requirements of this level, showing a clear grasp of the visual data without missing major mechanical steps.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression throughout the stages of the diagram. Information is grouped into sensible paragraphs that separate the introduction, the main body of the process, and the summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Subesequently', and 'Once above ground' are used to guide the reader through the sequence of events. However, cohesion occasionally feels slightly mechanical, and referencing could be smoother. Furthermore, there is a minor flaw in paragraphing structure with the concluding sentence being isolated into its own very brief paragraph, which prevents the essay from reaching the full potential of higher bands where paragraphing is managed with greater flexibility.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'geothermal power plant', 'injection well', 'geothermal zone', 'condenser', and 'transmission'. There are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'ilustrates' instead of 'illustrates', 'pasess' instead of 'passes', 'horizonatlly' instead of 'horizontally', and 'Subesequently' instead of 'Subsequently'. Additionally, 'continous' is misspelled. These lexical errors and awkward spellings reflect a typical limitation at this level where less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy, though the meaning remains clear enough for communication not to be impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and participial phrases adequately, such as in 'cold water being pumped approximately 4.5 kilometers underground'. There are some grammatical errors and punctuation issues, notably missing spaces after punctuation marks (e.g., 'stages,beginning', 'steam,which', 'kilometers.it') and a lack of capitalization at the beginning of a sentence ('it then pasess'). Prepositions and articles are generally handled well, and while these errors persist, they rarely impede communication, allowing the sentence structures to remain understandable and compliant with the expectations of this band.

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