Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-28

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 figure illustrates the process of production of electricity by using geothermal energy.

Overall, the process involves five steps. The water is pumped down in the Earth's hot regio. The resultant stream is extracted and used to run turbines to generate electricity.

The first step is to transfer cold water in depth of 4.5km through injection well, until it reaches geothermal zone. The hot rock increase the temperature of water and it is pumped upward through production well. In fourth step, this hot water is turned into stream using condenser.

In fifth step, the heat energy from stream is used to run the turbines. These turbines powers the generators to produce the electricity, which is actual final product of whole process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages and provide an overview, noting that water is pumped underground, heated by hot rocks, brought back up, and used to generate electricity. The 4.5 km depth and the roles of the injection and production wells are also reported accurately. However, some details are unclear or incomplete: the condenser produces steam, rather than simply turning hot water into “stream,” and the account does not clearly explain that steam powers the turbine, which in turn drives the generator. The overview’s “five steps” is not fully matched by a clearly numbered description of each stage. The response is also 29 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail available to cover the process fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the underground stages and then the electricity-generating equipment. Sequencing phrases such as “The first step” and “In fifth step” help the reader follow the process. However, the progression is not entirely smooth: the second paragraph moves from the first step directly to the fourth, leaving the stages less clearly distinguished, and the final paragraph repeats the fifth-step framing. Some references, such as “the resultant stream,” are not immediately clear. To improve, describe each stage in order and use precise links between the water’s movement, steam production, and the turbine-generator sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” and “turbines,” which makes the topic clear. There is some variety in how you describe movement and purpose, such as “pumped upward” and “used to run.” However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “stream” appears to mean “steam,” “in depth of 4.5km” is not idiomatic, and “hot regio” is unclear. “The actual final product” is also an unnecessarily vague way to refer to electricity. Aim for precise technical terms and natural combinations, for example “at a depth of 4.5 km” and “the resulting steam.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including “The hot rock increase the temperature of water and it is pumped upward through production well.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. Subject–verb agreement is incorrect in “The hot rock increase” and “These turbines powers”; articles are missing in phrases such as “through injection well” and “using condenser”; and “In fifth step” needs an article. The opening sentence, “The figure illustrates the process…,” is a clear, accurate structure, but control is less consistent in longer sentences. Check agreement, articles, and sentence construction when describing each stage, while retaining a mix of sentence forms.

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