Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 different steps of the electricity production from geothermal energy.

Overall, The cold water get pumped down and passes through the geothermal zone, then it results to hot water getting pumped up to the condenser. Now the steam power the turbine that powers a generator which produces electricity.

Firstly, the process begins by the cold water pumped down the injection well (4,5 km under the ground), secondly it passes through the geothermal zone which consists of hot rocks that heats the water to the sufficient temperature. After that (third step), the hot water get pumped up through the production well; going to a condenser(fourth step). The state of water changes from liquide to gaz in the condenser. The steam goes up to the turbine to power it which consists to make it turn which powers up the generator that produces electricity(final step).

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main sequence: cold water is sent down the injection well, heated in the geothermal zone, brought up through the production well, and used to generate electricity. The overview also captures the relationship between steam, the turbine and generator. However, the account is only partial and some stages are underdeveloped: it does not clearly explain that steam is produced in the condenser before travelling to the turbine, and the final description repeats the generator’s role rather than summarising the complete process precisely. The stated depth of 4.5 km is accurate. The response is five words below the required minimum, and this limits the opportunity to report the process fully. Add a clearer overview and a little more accurate detail about the conversion stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement, with an introductory sentence, an overview, and a paragraph describing the stages in sequence. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “After that,” and “final step” help the reader follow the process. However, the links sometimes feel mechanical, particularly the repeated step labels, and the long final sentence joins several actions without clear boundaries. The overview also begins with “Overall, The,” where the capitalisation interrupts the flow. Improve cohesion by grouping related stages into shorter sentences and using references such as “this steam” to connect each stage naturally. The progression is understandable, but these adjustments would make it smoother and less list-like.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” “turbine,” and “generator,” so the reader can identify the main components. Some wording is imprecise or unnatural, however: “it results to hot water getting pumped up” and “which consists to make it turn” do not express the process clearly. There are also spelling and word-form problems in “liquide” and “gaz,” and “steam power the turbine” uses an inaccurate form. Aim for precise process collocations and accurate technical terms, for example, “the water is heated,” “steam drives the turbine,” and “the turbine turns the generator.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a sequence of stages linked with “which” and “that.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in verb forms and agreement occur in key sentences: “The cold water get pumped down,” “hot rocks that heats the water,” and “The steam power the turbine.” The final sentence also becomes difficult to manage because several clauses are joined together, while “which consists to make it turn” is not a sound grammatical construction. Use passive forms consistently for this process (“is pumped,” “is heated,” “is converted”), and divide the final sequence into two or three sentences. Check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries during revision.

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