Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The diagram illustrates process of electricity production by using geothermal energy.
The overall process involved on five stages. First the cold water passed by the injection well through underground geothermal zone which contain on hot rocks. The water become hot, pumped out by production well. Condenced it, Steam used to rotate the turbine. Generator attached to turbine is powered and produce electricity. Whice then passed to wires and pole.
First of all, cold water which is contain in a container is pumed to downward. It is passed by a 4.5 km injection well, attached to water container. Now this water is heating by moving in geothermal zone which is hot because of hot rocks present there. In the third stage that hot water is pumped upward to condenser by production well of same lenght as injection well. In condenser hot water condenced. The steam produced by it provide the power to rotate turbine. This turbin is attached to generator and powered it to generate the electricity. This electricity is then passed to pole by electric wires.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response identifies the main sequence: cold water is sent underground, heated in the geothermal zone, brought back up, and used to generate electricity. It also includes the 4.5 km depth and gives an overview of the process. However, some details are inaccurate or unsupported: the production well is described as the same length as the injection well, although only the injection well’s depth is specified, and the account says the hot water is condensed rather than explaining that steam is released in the condenser. The overview is also compressed and does not clearly distinguish the five numbered stages from the later turbine and generator actions. To strengthen the report, describe each stage precisely and avoid adding details not shown in the diagram.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an overview followed by a more detailed account, and the stages are generally presented in the correct order. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all” and “In the third stage” help the reader follow the process. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the overview and the second paragraph both recount nearly the entire sequence. Some links between ideas are abrupt, as in “Condenced it, Steam used to rotate the turbine,” and references such as “it” are not always clear. Organise the report so the overview gives only the broad process, then use the body paragraph to explain the stages once, with clear links between each step.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” “turbine,” and “generator.” This gives the reader a basic understanding of the equipment and sequence. However, word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and sometimes make the description less clear: “pumed,” “Whice,” “turbin,” and “condenced” are misspelled, while “passed by” and “rotate the turbine” are awkward in context. Some terms are also used imprecisely, particularly “condensed” for the stage where steam is produced. Work on accurate spelling of technical terms and natural process collocations, such as “is pumped through” and “drives the turbine,” to make the account clearer and more precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, including a relative clause in “cold water which is contain in a container” and a sequence of linked process clauses. However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between actions difficult to follow. Examples include “The overall process involved on five stages,” “The water become hot,” and “This electricity is then passed to pole,” which show problems with verb forms, articles, and sentence construction. The fragment “Condenced it, Steam used to rotate the turbine” also lacks a clear grammatical connection between the actions. Practise forming accurate passive sentences for processes—for example, “The water is heated” and “Steam is produced”—and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and punctuation.
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