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 given illustration depicts how geothermal energy is consumed to have electricity.

Overall, it is quite evident from the information that diagram has total five steps. However, the process begins from the cold water and concludes at generator turbines.

Initially, cold water is store before pumped down the injection well from 4.5 km . water remains there at geothermal zone which has hot rocks which eventually changes the water into hot water. After that at the third stage water comes to the production well which further pumped up the hot water through a pipe to a condenser.

In the next stage, water is converts into steam which then directed towards a turbine. The force of the steam causes the turbine to rotate. In the finall stage, it powers the generator to produce electricity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a sequence and include several key stages: cold water is pumped down, heated by hot rocks, brought up through the production well, and used to generate electricity. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: the process concludes with electricity produced by the generator, not “generator turbines,” and the diagram shows five numbered stages rather than five steps including every component. Some details are also imprecise, such as saying the water “remains” in the geothermal zone rather than passing through it. The response is 17 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail provided. To strengthen the report, give a clear overview of the transformation from cold water to electricity and describe the turbine and generator accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable sequence, supported by paragraphing and time markers such as “Initially,” “After that,” and “In the next stage.” This helps the reader follow the process from underground heating to electricity generation. However, the overview’s “However” does not express a contrast, and the sequence is not always clearly linked: “After that at the third stage” is awkward, while “In the next stage” does not specify which numbered stage is meant. The final paragraph also combines steam production, turbine movement, and generation without fully clarifying their relationships. Use a more direct overview, then organise the body in clear stages with precise references such as “Once heated” and “The resulting steam then drives the turbine.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” “steam,” and “turbine,” so the main subject is generally clear. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “energy is consumed to have electricity,” “water remains there,” and “the force of the steam causes the turbine to rotate.” “Finall” is also misspelled, and “generator turbines” confuses two separate components. These noticeable limitations make some descriptions less precise. Aim for standard process-reporting phrases such as “is used to generate electricity,” “flows through the geothermal zone,” and “steam drives the turbine.” Check spelling and distinguish the turbine from the generator.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “which eventually changes the water into hot water” and a sequence of linked process clauses. However, errors in verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “cold water is store before pumped down” needs passive forms (“is stored before being pumped down”), and “water is converts into steam” should be “water is converted into steam.” The sentence beginning “Initially” also has a lower-case “water” after a full stop, and “which further pumped up” lacks an auxiliary verb. Practise accurate passive constructions, which are especially useful for describing processes, and proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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