Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-25

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 given diagram illustrates the mechanism of geothermal power plant and describes how the energy is produced through the geo thermal plant using thermal energy of earth and water.

The plant contains a cold water tank from which water is injected down through the injection wall to geothermal zone located about 4.5 kilometers below the ground level and surrounded by hot rocks where water becomes hot.Hot water is pumped up through the production wall in to the condenser where steam is produced.There is turbine fitted adjacent to the condenser which is rotated by the steam.This rotation of turbine runs the generator.The generator converts the mechanical energy of the turbine in to the electrical energy.This current flows through the wires and towers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main sequence accurately: cold water is sent underground, heated by the hot rocks, brought back up, and used to produce steam that drives the turbine and generator. The 4.5-kilometre depth is also included. However, the response does not provide a clear overview of the process as a whole, and some details are underdeveloped—for example, it does not clearly explain that the water passes through the geothermal zone before rising in the production well. The final description of electricity transmission is brief. The response is also 29 words below the required minimum, limiting the opportunity to report the stages fully. Add a concise overview and explain each stage more completely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information follows the process in a generally logical order, moving from the cold-water tank to the underground zone and then to the equipment at the surface. This makes the sequence understandable. However, the response is presented as one paragraph, so the overview and stage-by-stage description are not clearly separated. Connections between steps rely mainly on repeated references to the equipment, and the transition from the turbine to the generator and then to electricity transmission feels compressed. Use a short overview followed by a clearly organised process paragraph, and add linking expressions such as “after being heated” or “in turn” where they clarify the relationships. This would make the progression easier to follow without overloading the description.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “injection,” “geothermal zone,” “condenser,” “steam,” and “generator,” which helps communicate the stages. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “injection wall” and “production wall” should refer to wells, while “towers” is less precise than “transmission pylon” or “power lines.” The phrase “geo thermal plant” is also inconsistently written, and “current flows through the wires and towers” is not the clearest description of the diagram. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the process, but more accurate technical terms and consistent spelling would improve precision. Aim to describe the diagram’s labelled components rather than use approximate alternatives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “the geothermal zone … surrounded by hot rocks” and a sequence of passive constructions such as “water is injected” and “steam is produced.” The process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors reduce accuracy. For example, “where water becomes hot.Hot water” needs a space and clearer sentence punctuation, and “pumped up through the production wall in to the condenser” has problems with the preposition pattern and sentence construction. The opening sentence is also awkwardly structured. Review sentence boundaries, articles, and prepositions, and check spacing after full stops. More controlled complex sentences would help you explain the stages while maintaining accuracy.

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