Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-10

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 illustration displays the working of geothermal power plant to produce electricity

Overall, the production of electricity using geothermal energy consists of multiple steps connected by pipes , starting with usage of water and ending with electricicty as final product. The process occurs in underground and above the ground

At first cold water is pumped underground through the injection well which spans about 4.5 km. The hot rocks of geothermal zone heats up the cold water and then the now hot water is pumped up through the production well. Notably, the injection well and the production well are connected by pipes which lie on the geothermal zone.

Once the condenser receives the hot water, it condenses the water into steam. Afterwards, the steam is pushed to a turbine to activate it and it starts to spin then it powers the generator. The powered generator produces electricity and the electricity is transmitted to a power line

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence accurately: cold water is pumped down the injection well, heated by the hot rocks, brought up through the production well, and converted to steam to drive the turbine and generator. Including the well’s 4.5 km depth is a useful specific detail, and your overview identifies the process as a series of connected stages. Some features are less fully reported, however: the account does not clearly explain that the condenser produces steam, and the final transmission stage is only briefly mentioned. The description that the wells are connected by pipes lying on the geothermal zone is also less precise than saying water passes through the hot-rock zone. A clearer overview of the transformation from water to electricity and fuller coverage of the final stages would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall progression, moving from an overview to the underground stages and then to the equipment at the surface. Sequencing expressions such as “At first,” “Once,” and “Afterwards” help the reader follow the process, and the stages are presented in a sensible order. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some of the stronger progression associated with the next level. However, the paragraphing is limited: the overview and the first stage run together, while the later stages form one long paragraph. Some links are also slightly mechanical, and “then” is repeated in the turbine sentence. Separate the overview from the detailed stages and use clearer links between the underground and surface phases to make cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” and “turbine.” These terms make the stages recognisable, and phrases such as “pumped underground” and “transmitted to a power line” are relevant to the diagram. There are, however, some imprecise or awkward choices: “usage of water” is less natural than “use of water,” and “activate” does not describe the turbine’s operation as precisely as “drive” or “power.” “The hot rocks … heats up” also contains a word-form error, while “electricicty” is misspelled. More accurate collocations and careful proofreading would improve precision without requiring a much wider vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “the injection well … which spans about 4.5 km” and a time clause beginning “Once the condenser receives the hot water.” Most of the process remains understandable, and the errors rarely obstruct the sequence. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain: “geothermal zone heats” should be “geothermal zone heat” or “the hot rocks heat,” and “the now hot water is pumped up” would read more naturally as “the heated water is pumped up.” The final sentence also shifts awkwardly from “it starts to spin” to “it powers the generator,” leaving the reference of “it” unclear. Improve agreement, articles, and pronoun reference, and punctuate the opening sentence with a full stop.

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