Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-24

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 depicts how electricity is produced through geothermal energy. Overall, the process have five steps, starting with the cold water pumped down into the injection well, were geothermal zone is presented into under ground, condenser make steam and power the generator.

The process start with cold water pumped, 4.5km deep into the soil. The injection well is planted underground, then water goes into geothermal zone, in the zone hot rocks are present, hot rocks boil the water. The production well pumped hot water into the surface level.

The hot water goes into the condensor, make steam, and the steam travel into the turbine, when turbine spin they produce power through steam. The generator activate through powered by turbine and produces electricity, travel into the towers, and the process countinue

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages, including water being sent down the injection well, heated underground, brought up through the production well, and converted to steam to drive the turbine and generator. This gives the reader a basic account of the process. However, the overview is unclear and does not accurately summarise the complete sequence: “the process have five steps” is followed by a compressed description that omits the production well and turbine’s role in the overview. Some details are also imprecise, such as saying the hot rocks “boil the water” and that electricity travels “into the towers.” The response is 20 words below the required minimum, which limits the opportunity to report the stages fully. Add a clear overview and explain each transition accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into an introduction and two body paragraphs, and the stages are generally presented in the order they occur. This provides some organisation, particularly as the account moves from the underground wells to the equipment at the surface. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview compresses several stages into one sentence, and the final paragraph joins multiple actions with commas, making the relationships between them difficult to follow. Linking expressions are limited, and “then” and “and” do much of the connecting work. The ending, “and the process countinue,” does not clearly complete the description. Use one paragraph for the overview and organise the remaining stages into clear steps, with precise links such as “after this” and “finally.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” “steam,” and “turbine.” These terms help identify the main components, and the reader can generally understand the intended process. However, the range of verbs and descriptions is limited, with repeated use of “goes,” “pumped,” and “produce.” Some choices are inaccurate or awkward: “the injection well is planted underground” and “the generator activate” do not describe the diagram naturally. Spelling errors such as “condensor” and “countinue” also reduce accuracy. Build a more precise set of process verbs and check spelling; for example, describe water as being “heated” underground and steam as “driving” the turbine.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentences, and the sequence can usually be understood. However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between actions unclear. For example, “the process have five steps” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “The process start” and “the generator activate” also need third-person singular verb forms. The sentence beginning “Overall” contains faulty construction (“were geothermal zone is presented into under ground”), and several clauses are joined without clear grammatical structure, as in “The hot water goes into the condensor, make steam.” Sentence patterns are mostly simple, with limited accurate complex structures. Practise consistent present-simple forms and build complete clauses, using passive forms where appropriate, such as “Cold water is pumped down the well.”

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