Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-05

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 dipicts the use of geothermal energy in the aim to producing electricity.

The general overview of the diagram reveals that cold water is the first essencial source for electricity production and the step for production is generator powered by turbine.

The very first step is cold water which is pumped down about 4.5 kilometer by the use of injection well. Befor the production well there is a geothermal zone included with hot rocks, then the third step is production well and the hot water pumped up from the depth.

After completing those two steps from underground the second last stage is condenser, where steam gas is produced. The turbine in the fifth stege is powered by steam and the final stage is generator. The generator is also powered by trubine and produces electricty. The generator is the main power or machinery in the production of electricity and the generator produces electricity and transfer it to the power lines towers.

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 produce steam that powers a turbine and generator. The 4.5-kilometre depth is also reported accurately. However, the overview is not sufficiently clear: calling cold water the “first essential source” and the generator “the step” does not summarise the overall transformation. Some details are also imprecise, such as saying the condenser produces “steam gas” rather than explaining that hot water is converted into steam there. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the complete process and describe each stage accurately, including the generator’s connection to electricity transmission.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable sequence, moving from the initial water supply through the underground stages to the turbine and generator. Paragraph breaks also separate the overview from the process description. However, progression is sometimes difficult to follow because the stage numbering is inconsistent: the condenser is called the “second last stage,” while the turbine is described as the “fifth stage,” without a clear, consistent sequence. Phrases such as “After completing those two steps from underground” are also vague about which stages are meant. Use clear chronological links such as “Next” and “Finally,” and organise the stages in order without relying on confusing numbering.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “injection well,” “geothermal zone,” “condenser,” “turbine,” and “power lines.” This gives the reader a basic understanding of the equipment. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision: “in the aim to producing,” “steam gas,” “power lines towers,” and “machinery” are awkward or inaccurate in context. There are also noticeable spelling errors such as “dipicts,” “essencial,” and “electricty.” Aim for standard process language and check spelling carefully; precise terms such as “steam,” “transmission lines,” and “electricity generation” would make the description clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, for example, “The very first step is cold water which is pumped down…” and “After completing those two steps from underground the second last stage is condenser…”. However, the longer constructions are often faulty, and several sentences lack complete or well-formed grammatical patterns. “The general overview … reveals that cold water is the first essential source … and the step for production is generator powered by turbine” has unclear clause structure and missing articles. In “the hot water pumped up from the depth,” the verb needs to be formed as a passive clause, and “where steam gas is produced” would benefit from a clearer grammatical link to the process. Practise accurate passive forms and complete clauses before adding complexity.

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