Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The diagram illustrates how geothermal energy is used to generate electricity.

The process begins with cold water, which is pumped underground and heated by hot rocks.The cold water is pumped approximately 4.5 kilometres underground through the injection well, where it is heated by hot rocks. once heated, water pumped back to surface through production well and transferred to condensor where it is converted into steam and ready for powering Generator to produce Electricity

In the next stage, the steam drives a turbine, causing it to rotate. The turbine is connected to a generator, which converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy. Finally, the electricity produced by the generator is transmitted through power lines to supply homes and other users.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process and report its main sequence: cold water is sent underground, heated by hot rocks, brought back up, turned into steam, and used to drive a turbine and generator. The 4.5-kilometre depth is also accurately included. However, the account is only partial and some stages are underdeveloped: the overview does not clearly summarise the complete process, and the role of the condenser is described imprecisely as converting water into steam. The final claim that electricity supplies “homes and other users” is not shown in the diagram, which only depicts transmission lines and a pylon. The response also falls 31 words short of the required minimum, limiting the detail available. Add a clear overview and explain each stage more fully using only information shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information follows a generally logical order, moving from underground water circulation to steam, the turbine, and electricity transmission. Paragraphing also separates the initial stages from the final ones, and phrases such as “In the next stage” and “Finally” help guide the reader. This gives the response a coherent overall arrangement. To make progression more consistently clear, avoid repeating the opening explanation that cold water is pumped underground and heated by rocks. The transition from the first paragraph to the turbine stage could also be smoother, and the long, loosely connected sentence beginning “once heated” makes the sequence harder to follow. Use clearer sentence boundaries and refer explicitly to the production well and condenser as each stage is introduced.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “production well,” “turbine,” “generator,” and “transmitted,” which makes the basic sequence understandable. There are also useful attempts at more technical phrasing, such as “mechanical energy” and “electrical energy.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or informal for a process description: “ready for powering Generator” is awkward, and “converted into steam” does not precisely describe the condenser’s role in the diagram. Spelling and capitalisation also need attention in “condensor” and “Electricity.” Aim for precise, consistent technical terms and avoid adding unsupported details such as electricity being supplied to homes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple sentences and more developed structures, for example the opening clause “which is pumped underground and heated by hot rocks” and the sentence explaining how the turbine drives the generator. Meaning is generally clear, and some sentences are accurately controlled. However, several errors remain in the longer sentence beginning “once heated”: it needs a capital letter, an article in “to the surface,” and a subject in “water is pumped back.” The phrase “through production well” also needs an article, while “ready for powering Generator” has an incomplete grammatical construction. Improve control of articles, passive verb forms, and sentence boundaries; these corrections would make the process description more consistently accurate without sacrificing the range of structures attempted.

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