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 below illustrates how the energy that comes from inside the earth is used in production of electricity.

Overall, Cold water had to pass through geothermal zone and get back hot to condenser to perform furthur process for generating electricity.

First of all, Cold water has to pumped down upto 4.5 km inside the earth surface, afterwards the injection well forwards cold water towards Geothermal zone where hot rocks are present after passing them the production well pumped hot water upwards towards the Condensor where finally the process under the surface of earth ends.

In furthur process, the condenser chnaged the hot water into steam and powered the turbine using this steam, moving forward turbine powered the generator and using this power generator produces electricity which then supplied to the towers and so on.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main sequence from cold water being sent underground to electricity generation, and you include the key depth of 4.5 km. The overview also recognises that water is heated in the geothermal zone before returning to the surface. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately described: the condenser does not itself power the turbine; it produces steam, which then drives the turbine, and the turbine drives the generator. The final reference to electricity being supplied “to the towers and so on” is vague and not a clear report of the diagram. The response is also 15 words below the required minimum, leaving the process under-described. Add a fuller, accurate account of the equipment and its connections.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall progression: an opening, an overview, and a description of the underground and surface stages. Sequencing expressions such as “First of all,” “afterwards,” and “In further process” help signal movement through the process. However, most information is packed into two very long sentences, so the stages and relationships are difficult to follow. The transition from the condenser to the turbine and generator is especially compressed, and “and so on” leaves the ending imprecise. Use separate sentences or paragraphs for the underground water cycle and the electricity-generating equipment, and use clear links such as “Once heated” and “The resulting steam then” to make the sequence easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “production well,” “geothermal zone,” “condenser,” “steam,” and “turbine,” which allows the reader to identify the main components. There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “pumped down” and “pumped hot water upwards.” However, several spelling errors and awkward or imprecise expressions reduce control: “furthur,” “chnaged,” “Condensor,” “perform furthur process,” and “towers and so on.” Some word choices also blur the process, particularly saying the condenser “powered the turbine.” Aim for accurate spelling and natural technical collocations, and choose precise verbs for each component’s role, such as “converts,” “drives,” and “generates.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect several stages using subordinate clauses and sequencing, but the response relies heavily on long, joined sentences, and errors often make the relationships harder to understand. For example, “Cold water has to pumped down” is missing “be,” while “the production well pumped hot water upwards” uses an unsuitable tense for describing a process. The sentence beginning “First of all” also joins several stages without clear sentence boundaries, and “the generator produces electricity which then supplied” lacks a correctly formed verb phrase. Use the present simple consistently for process descriptions, check passive forms such as “is pumped,” and divide complex sequences into shorter, accurately punctuated sentences.

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