Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given diagram illustrates the production process of electricity by using geothermal energy.

Overall, there are five steps involve in the production of electricity which start with pumping down cold water and generating electricity by generator.

First of all, the soil has been dug to 4.5 km vertically.The cold water pumped down to the injection well through the soil.Subsequently, the water on the injection well passes to the geothermal zone.The temperature of the geothermal zone is high due to the presence of hot rocks.By passing the water from geothermal zone, the temperature of water also rises.The hot water then pumped up through the production well and collected into a condenser.Condenser is a chamber where the steam of hot water collected and passes to the turbine.

Furthermore, the condenser is connected with a turbine that powered by steam.In the final step, when the turbine runs, it helps to powered a generator that is already attached with turbine.The generator generates electricity that will be supplied to different grids.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of electricity production using geothermal energy, from the initial pumping of cold water down to the 4.5 km injection well to the final generation of electricity. An overview is provided, noting that there are five steps involved. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. For instance, the description of the condenser and turbine phases is slightly underdeveloped and lacks clear mechanical linkage in comparison to the detailed explanation of the underground water movement. While the key features such as the 4.5 km depth and the hot rocks are mentioned, providing a more balanced selection and integration of all visual labels would elevate the response to a higher level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the underground stages to the surface mechanisms. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction and overview from the detailed body description. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'First of all', 'Subsequently', and 'Furthermore', which guide the reader through the process. However, some cohesive referencing and transitions are a little mechanical, such as the sudden shift into describing the condenser and turbine. To reach the next level, the connections between consecutive stages could be smoothed out to make the flow of information more seamless and natural throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a technical process, attempting less common items such as 'vertically', 'geothermal zone', and 'transmission' (implied by grids). However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'steps involve' instead of 'steps involved', 'water on the injection well' instead of 'water in', and 'powered a generator' instead of 'power a generator'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical control struggles with collocations and precise prepositional use attached to vocabulary, which occasionally hinders precise expression and restricts the score to this band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at relative clauses and passive constructions, such as 'a turbine that powered by steam' and 'hot water then pumped up'. However, there are several grammatical errors, including missing auxiliary verbs ('is connected with a turbine that [is] powered', 'The hot water then [was] pumped up'), article omissions ('to 4.5 km vertically. The cold water'), and verb form inaccuracies ('there are five steps involve'). These errors persist throughout the text, though they rarely impede overall communication. A greater variety of error-free complex structures and tighter control over verb phrases would be necessary to achieve a higher band.

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