Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-29

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 shows how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity. Alot of processes are incorporated in this process. Firstly, cold water that is collected from different streams in pumped down into the injection well where is goes through the geothermal zone which is made up of hot rocks that help that cold water to be turned to hot water and is stored in the production well. Then from the production well the hot water goes up into the condenser and is turned into steam. and its the steam that is used to pelower the turnine . After the turbine is powered by the steam and it begins to work, then the energy generated from it powers the generator that is responsible for producing electricity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the main sequence from cold water being pumped underground to electricity being generated, and you mention the geothermal zone, production well, condenser, steam, turbine and generator. However, the account is incomplete: it does not clearly explain that water passes through the hot rocks before being pumped back to the surface, and it gives no overview of the process’s two broad phases. The claim that water is collected from “different streams” is not shown in the diagram. The response is also 116 words, below the required 150; the nine words copied from the prompt are excluded from that count. Develop the stages more fully and include key details such as the 4.5 km depth and the turbine driving the generator.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally understandable order, using “Firstly,” “Then” and “After,” so the reader can follow the basic movement from water to electricity. This gives the response an overall coherent arrangement. However, the answer is one continuous paragraph, and some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Then from the production well the hot water goes up into the condenser” could more clearly distinguish the water’s upward journey from what happens inside the condenser. The sentence beginning “After the turbine is powered…” repeats the previous point rather than advancing the explanation. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the detailed sequence, and connect each stage without repeating information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” “steam” and “generator.” These terms help communicate the main stages. However, the range is limited, and several choices are inaccurate or informal: “Alot of processes” is vague, “streams” is unsupported by the diagram, and “pelower” and “turnine” are misspellings that obscure meaning. “Turned into hot water” and “turned into steam” are understandable but repetitive and imprecise. Aim for accurate process verbs and collocations, such as water being heated by hot rocks, rising through a well, and steam driving a turbine. Proofreading technical terms would make the description clearer and more appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine stages in longer sentences, for example by linking the water’s movement through the geothermal zone to its return through the production well. However, these complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to follow. In “where is goes through,” the pronoun and verb form are incorrect, while “that help that cold water to be turned” has unclear agreement and an awkward clause structure. The sentence beginning “and its the steam” is not properly connected to the preceding sentence, and the final sentence repeats the sequence with an unclear “it.” Use a mix of shorter, controlled sentences and carefully formed clauses. Check subject–verb agreement, pronoun reference, sentence boundaries and punctuation.

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