Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-13

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 process diagram depicts how electricity is generated in geothermal power plant from cold water

Overall, there are five distint stages in order to produce power suply,starting with cold water moving over long distance in a narror pipe and ending with turbines igniting generators to produce electricity whis is transmitted to power lines.

The process begins with water being pumped 4.5km deep through the injection well before reachinh high temperature rocks in geothermal zone . At the production well located underneath, hot water is pumped upwards via a wider tunnel.

After the hot water reaches the earth surface, they are freezed in a condenser into steam.Consequently steam is passed into narrow path to drive turbines which in turn power generators that produces energy suppply to the power grids set high above the ground

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as electricity generation and describe its main sequence: water is pumped down the injection well, heated in the geothermal zone, brought up through the production well, and used to drive a turbine and generator. The 4.5 km depth is also reported accurately. However, the overview is not fully reliable: “five distinct stages” is not clearly supported by the diagram’s numbered stages, and “turbines igniting generators” misrepresents how the turbine drives the generator. The condenser is also described as freezing water, rather than converting hot water into steam. The response is 17 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail available. Include a clearer overview and explain the conversion from hot water to steam accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a generally logical progression, moving from an overview to the underground stages and then to the equipment at the surface. Sequencing expressions such as “The process begins,” “After,” and “Consequently” help guide the reader, and the paragraph breaks broadly separate the stages. This coherent arrangement meets the core expectations, but some links are awkward or unclear. For example, “At the production well located underneath” does not clearly explain the transition from the geothermal zone, while “After the hot water reaches the earth surface, they…” leaves the reference of “they” uncertain. The overview also compresses several stages into one sentence. Use clearer references and transitions to make each stage’s relationship explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “condenser,” “turbines,” and “power grids,” which helps communicate the subject. There are also attempts at more specific description, such as “pumped upwards” and “4.5km deep.” However, inaccurate or unnatural choices sometimes obscure the process: water is not “freezed” into steam, turbines do not “ignite” generators, and “narrow path” is vague for the connecting pipe. Spelling errors such as “distint,” “narror,” and “suply” are noticeable, and several phrases are imprecise or repetitive. Build accuracy by choosing standard process collocations and checking spelling, especially for key technical terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including a complex sentence beginning “Overall” and a sequence of clauses describing the stages. The main process is usually understandable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect clarity. For example, “before reachinh high temperature rocks” needs a grammatical verb form and article, while “they are freezed” has an incorrect passive form and unclear agreement with “hot water.” In “generators that produces,” the verb does not agree with its plural subject. Missing spaces after commas and full stops also make the writing harder to read. Practise accurate passive constructions for process descriptions and check each sentence for a clear subject, verb, and reference.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.