Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-01

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 the process of producing electricity from geothermal energy.

The process is based on five steps and mainly includes the water, the injection wall, the production well, condenser, turbine and the generator.

Initially the cold water pumped down about 4.5 kilometers to the injection well. The cold water than passed through the injection well and moved towards geothermal zone and then it moved towards the production well. The water temperature now has increased after it crossed through the hot rocks. The how water now pumped up towards the condenser. The condenser then convert hot water into steam and the steam then moved into another section. When the steam reaches the section of turbine and generator. The turbine which is powered by the steam; starts rotating and gave power to the generator. The generator gets its power from the turbine and start producing electricity. The produced electricity then transferred to the electric polls.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages, including water being pumped underground, heated by hot rocks, returned to the surface, and used to generate electricity. The 4.5-kilometre depth is also reported accurately. However, the response does not clearly present an overview of the process as a whole, and some stage descriptions are incomplete or imprecise. For example, the water passes through the geothermal zone towards the production well; it is not described as passing through the injection well again after being pumped down. The account also says the condenser converts hot water into steam, whereas the diagram shows the production well entering the condenser and steam then moving to the turbine. Make the sequence and the roles of each component clearer, and include a concise overview of the transformation from cold water to electricity.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are generally presented in chronological order, and sequencing words such as “Initially,” “then,” and “now” help the reader follow the process. The response also moves from the underground stages to electricity production, giving it an overall coherent arrangement. However, the ideas are crowded into one paragraph, and some links are mechanical or unclear. In particular, “When the steam reaches the section of turbine and generator” is left as an incomplete transition, while “The turbine which is powered by the steam; starts rotating” interrupts the flow with awkward punctuation. Use separate paragraphs for the introduction and process description, and connect each stage with complete, precise sentences and clear references.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “condenser,” “turbine,” and “generator,” which makes the subject clear. Terms such as “pumped down” and “powered by” are also appropriate to describing the diagram. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, however: “electric polls” does not name the electricity transmission structure, and “the water temperature now has increased” is an awkward way to describe heating. There are also spelling or word-form slips, including “wall” for “well” and “how water” for “hot water.” Aim for precise technical wording and check spelling carefully; this will make the description more natural without requiring unnecessarily advanced vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex structures, for example, “The water temperature now has increased after it crossed through the hot rocks.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in verb forms, sentence construction, and punctuation sometimes make the sequence harder to follow. “Initially the cold water pumped down” needs a finite verb, while “The condenser then convert” and “the steam then moved” do not maintain accurate subject–verb agreement and tense. The clause beginning “When the steam reaches…” is incomplete, and the semicolon in “powered by the steam; starts rotating” is incorrectly placed. Practise writing complete sentences with consistent present simple passive forms, such as “Cold water is pumped down,” and check agreement and punctuation in each sentence.

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