Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-13

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)

The chart below shows how to make own water clock. The chart below shown by steps.

Overall, the water clock has 7 stages of making a water clock, all of them one by one builded. The first one, the main thing for water clock is Tap on, above the clepsydra. Next for clock we should cover hole with finger, which helps to flow the water slowly, by then, fill top bottle to overflow by the instructor and count the level constant and we need to remove the finger away from hole. Also, count levels per minute for the water clock worked. At the end, we need to empty and repeat process for timing things. By the way, don't forget about the little details for clepsydra. For example tape, straw, glue, cut off the neck in the plastic bottle and so on.

In conclusion, our water clock successfully worked one by one, and the water clock should be worked competently.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process of building a water clock, but it fails to clearly outline the stages in a logical, step-by-step manner. While it mentions there are 7 stages, the description is confusing and lacks the necessary detail to explain the mechanism effectively. The instructions provided in the prompt are not clearly translated into a coherent report. The inclusion of informal phrases like 'By the way' and 'main thing' is inappropriate for an academic report. The overview is weak and does not provide a clear summary of the process, leading to a fragmented explanation that does not fully satisfy the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response lacks a clear logical progression. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the ideas within the paragraphs are disjointed and difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used in a mechanical and often incorrect way, such as 'by then' and 'one by one builded', which confuses the reader. The referencing is unclear, and the transition between the steps of the process is abrupt. The overall structure is not sufficiently developed to guide the reader through the technical process described in the diagram.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often imprecise. There is a reliance on basic, repetitive language, and some word choices are inappropriate for an academic context, such as 'main thing' and 'timing things'. There are also issues with word formation and collocation, such as 'builded' instead of 'built' and 'count the level constant'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe a technical process with the necessary precision, and the tone is overly informal, which detracts from the quality of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are significant issues with sentence structure, such as 'The chart below shown by steps' and 'the water clock should be worked competently'. Verb tense usage is inconsistent, and there are errors in subject-verb agreement and word order. The range of grammatical structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences with errors in basic syntax. Complex structures are attempted but are generally inaccurate, leading to a lack of clarity in the description of the process.

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