Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-03

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 demonstrates the procedure by which geothermal energy is used to generate electricity in a geothermal power plant.

Overall, it is a cyclic process consisting of five major stages, beginning with the pumping of cold water underground and ending with the production of electricity. The mechanism involves converting cold water into hot water and then into steam to power a turbine.

To commence with, the pumping down of cold water into the plant by a distance of 4.5 Km, then, through the injection well it passed through the geothermal zone that consists of hot rocks. After that, cold water is converted to hot water,and its pumped back up from the production well, from here, it goes to the condenser chamber, where steam is produced. In the next stage, steam drives and rotates the turbines, and the turbines power the generator and finally, electricity is produced. Then electricity is sent to power the grid.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response gives a clear account of the main sequence, from cold water being pumped underground to electricity generation, and its overview identifies the conversion from cold water to hot water and then steam. It also correctly includes the 4.5 km depth and the roles of the injection well, production well, condenser, turbine and generator. This covers the key features and keeps the description focused on the process. To make the account more fully precise, clarify that water passes through the geothermal zone and is heated by the hot rocks before rising; the phrase “cold water is converted to hot water” leaves that mechanism implicit. The final reference to electricity being sent to “the grid” is not stated in the transcription, so avoid adding this detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised in a clear progression: an introduction, an overview, and a chronological description of the stages. Sequencing expressions such as “To commence with,” “After that,” and “In the next stage” help the reader follow the process, and the overview effectively previews its beginning and end. The main limitation is that the final paragraph is a single long sequence, with several stages joined by commas; this makes some transitions less controlled. For example, separate the underground heating and return journey from the later steam-and-generator stages. The repeated use of “then” and “after that” could also be varied or reduced, while clear sentence boundaries would make the progression more fluent.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “geothermal zone,” “injection well,” “production well,” “condenser,” and “turbine,” and these terms generally communicate the diagram accurately. Phrases such as “generate electricity” and “steam is produced” are appropriate to the task. Some choices are less precise or natural: “the pumping down of cold water into the plant” is vague for water being sent underground, and “power the grid” is not the clearest description of the final stage shown. “Km” should be written as “km.” The response therefore shows adequate range and some technical vocabulary, but greater precision in collocation and consistent presentation of units would strengthen it further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts complex sequencing and cause-and-effect structures, but control is uneven, particularly in the long final paragraph. The opening description, “To commence with, the pumping down of cold water …, then … it passed,” is a sentence fragment followed by a tense shift from the process description to past tense. There are also errors in “its pumped back up” (missing apostrophe and auxiliary) and “hot water,and” (missing spacing after the comma). Several stages are linked with commas rather than clearly formed sentences, which weakens punctuation and sentence control. Aim to use consistent present simple for a process, and build complete sentences around each stage; for example, “Cold water is pumped down the injection well and heated as it passes through the hot rocks.”

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