Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The given picture illustrates how the electricity is produced in a geothermal power plant. The diagram depicts that it is 5 step process.
Overall, the process works through a sequence, starting from the introduction of cold water into a injection well and ends in powering the turbines by steam. Subsequently, generator produces electricity, once it gets power from turbines.
Firstly, the initial stages occur when cold water is inserted into a injection well. The well dug about 4.5 km underground. The cold water
is pumped down. Then water gets hot through geothermal zone. Afterwards, the water is passed to the production well.
After this, the hot water is pumped up and it reaches to condensor. Next, steam is produced through condenser and steam is transferred to
turbines. The turbines works and it contributes to power the turbines to produce electricity. In final steps, the produced electricity is sent to towers for its consumption.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview and outlining the main stages of how a geothermal power plant produces electricity. The key features, such as the 4.5 km depth of the injection well, the geothermal zone, and the turbine and generator mechanism, are generally reported. However, some parts are underdeveloped or lack precision, such as the description of the condenser and the final transmission step, which limits the response. The overall summary captures the main mechanism well, but further extension and clarity in detailing how the steps interconnect would elevate the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear separation of paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the stages. Logical progression is attempted using sequencing words such as 'Firstly', 'Then', 'Afterwards', and 'After this'. However, cohesion can sometimes feel mechanical or faulty, as seen in referencing and transitional phrases like 'Subsequently, generator produces electricity, once it gets power from turbines', where article usage and clause linking disrupt the flow. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but smoother cohesive transitions would enhance the overall readability.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms like 'geothermal power plant', 'injection well', 'condenser', 'turbines', and 'generator'. However, there are noticeable word choice, spelling, and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'into a injection well' (an injection well), 'condensor' (condenser), and 'The turbines works' (operate). While these errors do not seriously impede communication, they reflect a limited control over less common lexical items, preventing the response from achieving a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence forms. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding article omission or misuse, such as 'how the electricity is produced' (how electricity is produced) and 'generator produces' (the generator produces). Additionally, issues with subject-verb agreement occur, such as 'The turbines works'. While some sentences are clear and communicate the intended meaning, the accumulation of errors in prepositions, articles, and verb forms requires the reader to occasionally puzzle over the text and indicates a need for closer control over basic grammar.
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