Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-16

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 5.0)

The diagram below shows the information about how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity. Overall, the geothermal energy produce in several steps in which cold water, injection well, production well, and the condenser works.

At the start, their is cold water in a big cane which connect with earth deep inside around 4.5km in which the cold water pumped down as this is a step 1 and the 2nd step the injection well used to push water through geothermal zone(hot rocks) into the production well which is 3rd step in this the hot water pumped up into condenser which is step 4 in which water almost condense in convert into steam which travel through a pipe into the turbine in which the power of steam spin the turbine its a step 5 process and then goes to generator in which the powered by turbine and produce electricity in generator in step 6 then electricity goes to the main tower.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages, including water being pumped underground, heated by hot rocks, returned to the surface, and used to generate electricity. The depth of 4.5 km is also reported accurately. However, the overview is unclear: “geothermal energy produce in several steps” does not clearly summarise the process’s overall transformation from cold water to electricity. Some details are inaccurate or imprecise: the water is not said to be “almost condense”; rather, the condenser releases steam, and the generator produces electricity before it is transmitted. The response therefore covers the process only partially, with some stages unclear or underdeveloped. Make the overview precise and describe each stage using the diagram’s labels and sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented broadly in the correct order, and sequencing expressions such as “At the start,” “the 2nd step,” and “then” help the reader follow the process. However, nearly all the information is packed into one long paragraph and a single extended sentence, so the progression is difficult to track. Repeated references to numbered steps also make the account feel mechanical, while phrases such as “in which” do not always make clear which component or action is being described. Separate the overview from the process details, then use shorter sentences to group the underground stages and the electricity-generation stages. Clearer links between these groups would make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use several relevant process terms, including “injection well,” “production well,” “geothermal zone,” “turbine,” and “generator,” which help identify the equipment. However, the range and control of vocabulary are limited, and some choices make the meaning unclear. “Big cane” does not describe the water container, “the power of steam spin the turbine” is an awkward collocation, and “main tower” is not the appropriate term for the electricity transmission structure. There are also word-form and spelling problems, such as “produce” where “produced” or “produces” is needed and “their” for “there.” Use standard technical terms and precise verbs such as “flows,” “heats,” “drives,” and “transmits” to describe the process.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect several stages using subordinate clauses, for example, “in which the cold water pumped down,” but these complex structures are often faulty. Missing or incorrect verb forms occur throughout: “energy produce,” “water pumped down,” and “the powered by turbine and produce electricity.” Agreement and article use are also inconsistent, as in “the condenser works” and “into generator.” The long sentence beginning “At the start” contains several clauses joined without effective punctuation, making grammatical relationships hard to follow. These recurring errors sometimes obscure the process, despite the reader being able to infer its general sequence. Build accuracy with shorter sentences and practise complete passive forms, such as “water is pumped down” and “hot water is pumped up.”

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