Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows the process for making a water clock.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN WATER CLOCK

Student answer (Band 5.0)

First,we have to open the tap at a low level and the water comes out in a droplets in the plastic bottle which is attached with tape on the stand.Then we have to cover the hole of plastic bottle with a finger and fill the top bottle to overflow.We have attached the straw with the glue and the water comes out with the attached straw in a droplets until the water reaches at constant level.Then away your finger from the hole and the water drop down in the second plastic bottle as shown in the diagram.Marked the level with the pencil.When the water level reaches at the marked point.Then measure the time levels per minute. That's how we can build our own water clock.Empty the second plastic bottle and repeat the process for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While the student attempts to describe the process, the explanation is overly simplistic and lacks the formal, objective tone required for an Academic Task 1 report. The response reads more like a set of informal instructions rather than a summary of a technical diagram. Furthermore, the description of the process is somewhat disjointed, failing to clearly highlight the key stages or the overall purpose of the mechanism. To improve, the student should focus on providing a more comprehensive overview, ensuring all steps are clearly linked and described with greater precision and academic formality.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response lacks effective paragraphing, appearing as a single block of text. While there is a basic chronological sequence using transition words like 'First', 'Then', and 'When', the flow is mechanical and repetitive. The lack of clear paragraph breaks makes the text difficult to navigate. Cohesive devices are used in a very limited and simplistic manner, and there is a lack of sophisticated referencing to link the stages of the process together. To achieve a higher band, the student should organize the information into logical paragraphs—such as an introduction, a description of the setup, and the operational phase—and use a wider variety of cohesive devices to improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple verbs like 'open', 'cover', 'fill', and 'attach'. There is little evidence of the precise, technical vocabulary needed to describe a mechanical process (e.g., 'inlet', 'aperture', 'calibrate', 'graduated'). Phrases like 'away your finger' are grammatically incorrect and unnatural. The student uses 'in a droplets' incorrectly, which is a recurring error. To improve, the student should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to diagrams and processes, and work on using more precise nouns and verbs to describe the equipment and the actions involved in the experiment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammatical range is quite limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. There are frequent errors in sentence structure and article usage, such as 'comes out in a droplets' and 'Marked the level with the pencil' (which should be an imperative or present tense). The use of 'Then away your finger' is a major grammatical error, as 'away' is not a verb. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. To reach a higher band, the student needs to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as passive voice constructions, which are essential for describing processes, and focus on correcting basic subject-verb agreement and word order.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.