Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-19

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 6.5)

This flow diagram illustrates the sequential procedure, step by step, of electricity generation using geo-thermal energy. It clearly depicts the five steps included in the process, starting from using cold water, as a core ingredient, to produce steam which then generates electricity as a final product. To start off, cold water is pumped directly underground approximately 4.5km to the injection well. From there it is passed through a geo-thermal zone containing hot rocks, which heats up the water reaching the production well at the other end. The production well then pumps the hot water up into the condenser above ground, which evaporates it into high pressured steam. In the next step, steam moves into the turbine, turning it to power the generator. The generator uses this energy and converts it into electricity. The electricity moves along the wires continuously as its being produced to reach power towers at certain locations to distribute it locally.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the main sequence accurately: cold water is sent down the injection well, heated by the hot rocks, brought up through the production well, and used to drive the turbine and generator. Including the 4.5 km depth and the final electricity output also helps make the account specific. The opening gives a useful summary of the process, although it focuses on the five numbered stages rather than clearly stating the overall transformation from water to electricity. Some details are less fully or precisely reported: the condenser is said to “evaporate” the water into high-pressure steam, whereas the diagram only identifies the condenser as the stage releasing steam, and the claim that electricity is distributed “locally” is not shown. A more strictly diagram-based overview and closer description of the final stages would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The stages are presented in a clear, chronological order, and transitions such as “To start off,” “From there,” and “In the next step” help the reader follow the process. The response also moves logically from the underground stages to the equipment above ground. However, the account is written as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and the detailed sequence are not visually distinguished. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated step-by-step framing, and the final sentence adds a distribution detail that is not established by the preceding explanation. To improve progression, separate the overview from the process description and use a wider range of concise links, while ensuring each sentence connects directly to a feature shown in the diagram.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “production well,” “geothermal zone,” “condenser,” and “turbine.” These terms make the stages easy to identify, and phrases such as “pumped underground” and “turning it to power the generator” communicate the basic mechanics. Some choices are less precise or natural for an academic process description: “core ingredient” is informal and suggests a recipe, “high pressured steam” is an awkward collocation, and “power towers” is less accurate than the standard term for the structure shown. “Geo-thermal” is also conventionally written as one word, “geothermal.” Aim for precise, neutral wording and avoid adding descriptive phrases that do not improve the diagram’s explanation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “which heats up the water reaching the production well at the other end,” and most relationships between stages remain understandable. There are some grammatical and punctuation slips, but they do not prevent the reader from following the process. For example, “as its being produced” should be “as it is being produced” or “as it’s being produced”; the space before the comma in “turning it to power” should be removed; and “approximately 4.5km” needs a space between the number and unit. The opening sentence is also somewhat overloaded by “sequential procedure, step by step.” Greater control of concise sentence construction and careful proofreading would make the description more fluent and accurate.

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