Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-11

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 diagram illustrates the process of manufacturing electricity form geothermal energy.

Overall, There were several substantial steps for production of electricity using geothermal energy, starting from transforming cold water through injection well moving from different stages before supply to house for daily use.

initially water pumped is used to thansformed the cold water towards underground approximately 4.5km called injection wall, where geothermal zone hot rocts convert the cold water into hot water reaching to production wall.Moreover the transformed hot water is pumped upawards to the condenser.

Furthermore,the steam of hot water powered the turbine in circulating motion after passing from here the generator is installed where the electricty is produced and finally the electricity is transformed to homes though electricty towers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as geothermal electricity production and include several key stages: cold water goes down an injection well, is heated underground, returns through a production well, and is used to generate electricity. However, the account is incomplete and some details are unclear or inaccurate. The overview says electricity is supplied to houses, whereas the diagram shows transmission via power lines and a pylon; it does not show household use. The condenser’s role in producing steam and the turbine driving the generator could be explained more precisely. The response also falls 29 words short of the required minimum, limiting the detail available. To strengthen the report, give a clear overview and describe each stage accurately, including the 4.5 km depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the broad sequence of the process, and linking expressions such as “initially” and “Furthermore” help signal progression. However, the organisation is difficult to follow because the overview and process details are not clearly separated into paragraphs, and several transitions are awkward or do not clarify the relationship between stages. For example, “after passing from here” leaves the reader unsure what “here” refers to, while the final sentence combines electricity generation and transmission in a confusing way. Capitalisation at the start of sentences is also inconsistent. Use a separate overview paragraph followed by a step-by-step description, and connect each stage with precise references such as “the heated water then rises” and “the resulting steam drives the turbine.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” “turbine” and “generator,” which makes the topic recognisable. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make parts of the description harder to understand, such as “form” for “from,” “thansformed,” “wall” for “well,” and “upawards.” Some combinations are also unnatural: “manufacturing electricity” and “the steam of hot water” would be better expressed as “generating electricity” and “steam produced from the heated water.” Aim for accurate process verbs and collocations, and check spelling carefully. Repeating “electricity” is understandable, but you could vary this with “power” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe a sequence using longer sentences and some passive forms, such as “water is pumped” and “electricity is produced.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors are frequent enough to make several relationships unclear. For example, “Overall, There were” has incorrect capitalisation and tense, while “where geothermal zone hot rocks convert the cold water into hot water reaching to production wall” lacks articles and has an unclear clause structure. The final sentence also joins several actions without clear grammatical links. Use present simple consistently for a process diagram, check articles and subject–verb relationships, and divide long descriptions into shorter, complete sentences. This will make the sequence easier to understand.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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