Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-09

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 illustrates the multi-stage process by electricity, which electricity generated using geothermal energy.

Overall, the process happens in five main steps that from a continues cycle. It starts by pumping cold water underground and finishes with sending electricity to the power lines. The main feature of this system is using hot rocks to underground to heat the water.

In the first step, cold water is pumped down into the ground through an injection well. This well goes to 4.5 kilometers deep into the earth until it reaches the geothermal zone, which is made of hot rocks. as the cold water flows through these hot rocks, it become very hot. After that, this hot water is pumped up back to the surface through a separate production well.

Once the hot water reaches the surface, it goes into a condenser where it turns into steam. Next, this steam travels to a turbine and forces it to spin. The spinning turbine powers a generator, which converts the movement into electricity. Finally, the generated electricity is sent out to the community through power lines attached to large towers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover the main stages accurately, from pumping cold water down the injection well to generating electricity, and include the important 4.5-kilometre depth and the geothermal zone of hot rocks. The overview identifies the process’s start and finish and its central heating mechanism, while the later paragraphs explain the sequence in useful detail. The description of the turbine driving the generator is also consistent with the diagram. One point is less precise: calling the process a “continues cycle” suggests a continuous loop, although the diagram presents a sequence and does not show water returning to the start. Also, “electricity to the community” adds a destination not specified in the visual. Keep the overview focused on the stages and outputs shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview and two chronological detail paragraphs. Sequencing phrases such as “In the first step,” “After that,” “Once,” “Next” and “Finally” make the process easy to follow, and the shift from underground water movement to surface electricity generation is logical. This clear progression is a strength. Some linking is slightly mechanical because several stages are introduced with similar time markers, and the overview’s claim that the process forms a cycle does not align with the sequence described afterward. The final sentence also adds an unsupported destination, which slightly weakens the focus. To make the progression more polished, vary transitions and use references such as “the heated water” or “this steam” consistently to connect stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “condenser,” “turbine” and “generator,” which helps convey the technical sequence. Phrases such as “pumped down” and “pumped up” are appropriate to the diagram. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “process by electricity” does not express the intended meaning, “from a continues cycle” is unclear, and “hot rocks to underground” is not a natural construction. “Large towers” is less precise than the diagram’s power-line infrastructure. These choices do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision. Aim for standard process-reporting phrases such as “a process for generating electricity” and “the water is heated as it passes through hot rocks.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “a geothermal zone, which is made of hot rocks” and a time clause beginning “Once the hot water reaches the surface.” Most stages remain understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. The opening sentence lacks a complete, correctly formed clause (“which electricity generated”), and the overview has faulty structure in “five main steps that from a continues cycle.” There are also errors in “it become very hot,” where the verb does not agree with its subject, and “as” begins a sentence without a capital letter. Review clause construction, subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries. More accurate control of these patterns, alongside your existing complex sentences, would make the explanation smoother.

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