Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-02

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 6.5)

The diagram illlustrates they way elctricity is generated from geothermal energy.

Overall, it is alinear process, and involves five main stages. Commencing from pumping cold water to the underground ending with a generator producing electricity powered by turbine.

Firstly, cold water from the surface is pumped into the injection well which is 4.5 Km deep to reach the geothermal zone, at this zone cold water comes into contact with hot rock hence become hot. Next, the hot water moves into the production well, where it is pumped back to the surface into the condenser.

In the condenser, hot water is converted to steam, then, the steam is directed to the turbine to power it. After this, the turbine rotating at a high speed also is connected to the henerator powers it to generate electricity that is now directed into the grid

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages in the correct order: cold water is pumped down the 4.5 km injection well, heated in the geothermal zone, returned through the production well, and used to drive the turbine and generator. The opening overview also identifies a linear process and its endpoint. Some details are less fully reported, however: the account does not clearly explain that steam is produced in the condenser, and the final reference to electricity being directed “into the grid” is not shown in the transcription, which specifies transmission lines and a pylon. The response is also 9 words below the required minimum. To strengthen the summary, clarify the conversion from hot water to steam and describe only features supported by the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall progression, with an overview followed by the underground stages and then the surface equipment. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “Next,” and “After this” help the reader follow the process, and the paragraph breaks broadly separate the stages appropriately. The final sentence, however, combines several actions—turbine rotation, connection to the generator, and electricity production—so the relationship between them is less clear. The overview’s phrase “Commencing from…” is also a sentence fragment rather than a complete statement. Use complete sentences and make each stage’s cause-and-effect relationship explicit; this would preserve the logical organisation while making the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “production well,” “condenser,” and “turbine.” These terms make the description specific, and phrases such as “pumped back to the surface” communicate direction effectively. However, several spelling and word-choice slips reduce precision, including “illlustrates,” “elctricity,” “henerator,” and “alinear.” Some phrasing is also awkward: “the turbine rotating at a high speed also is connected” is less natural than a direct description of the turbine driving the generator. Aim for accurate spelling and conventional process collocations, while retaining the technical vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including the relative clause “which is 4.5 Km deep” and the sequence “where it is pumped back to the surface.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some sentence construction and punctuation errors affect clarity. “Commencing from pumping cold water to the underground ending with a generator…” is a fragment, while “hence become hot” lacks a correctly formed verb phrase. In the final sentence, “the turbine rotating at a high speed also is connected to the henerator powers it” has an unclear structure and missing punctuation between ideas. Use complete clauses, check subject–verb forms, and separate the turbine’s role from the generator’s role with clear sentence boundaries.

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