Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-30

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 illustrates electricity produce by the use of geothermal energy.

Overall, cold water use and passes through the geothermal zone to the condenser, where steam produce and turbine convert it into electricity so, generator can use it for their work.

In this process firstly cold water pumped down 4.5km to the injector well where the geothermal zone convert cold water into hot water then the hot water pumped up to the condenser. with the use of high temperature hot water change to steam. Turbine spins rapidly to generate electricity. Electricity give to tower for the further use

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as geothermal electricity production and include several key stages: water is pumped down, heated underground, brought back up, and used to produce steam that drives a turbine. However, the account is only partial and underdeveloped: the condenser’s role is unclear, and the generator is not explicitly described as being driven by the turbine to produce electricity. The overview also compresses the sequence in a way that makes it difficult to follow. The stated depth of 4.5 km is accurate, but the response is substantially below the required 150 words, leaving important stages and relationships unexplained. To improve, give a fuller overview and describe each stage in order, including the generator and electricity transmission.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic sequence, signalled by “Overall” and “firstly,” and the reader can recognise the general movement from cold water to electricity. However, the response is presented as one short block, with no clear separation between the overview and the detailed stages. Connections between ideas are sometimes unclear: “where the geothermal zone convert cold water into hot water then the hot water pumped up” combines several steps without clear punctuation or linking. The final sentence about electricity going to a tower is also abrupt. Organise the response into an overview paragraph and a process paragraph, then use clear sequence markers such as “Next,” “After this,” and “Finally” to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “geothermal zone,” “pumped down,” “pumped up,” “condenser,” “steam,” and “turbine,” which helps communicate the main subject. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or combinations are inaccurate or unclear. “Electricity produce” does not express the process naturally, while “the geothermal zone convert cold water” gives the zone an imprecise role; the water is heated by hot rocks. “Electricity give to tower” is also unclear about transmission. Use precise process verbs and collocations, such as “is generated,” “is heated by hot rocks,” “drives the turbine,” and “is transmitted through power lines.” This would make the description more accurate and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both an overview and a longer sequence, but grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors frequently affect clarity. Examples include “electricity produce,” “cold water use and passes,” and “steam produce,” where verb forms and agreement are faulty. Several clauses omit necessary auxiliary verbs, as in “cold water pumped down” and “the hot water pumped up.” The sentence beginning “In this process firstly” also runs several stages together, and “condenser. with” has incorrect sentence punctuation and capitalisation. Most sentences rely on simple structures, while the longer attempt is difficult to control. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions—for example, “Cold water is pumped down”—and separate each stage into a complete sentence.

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