Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The diagram illustrate products the water in clock.

Overall the various types in water produced in clock as 7 steps and repeate same process . Starting with tap on and ending with empty and repeat process for timing things.

Firstly stage with trun of the tap and second,five stage same as like cover hole with finger and finger away from hole drop into plastic bottle and thrid stage of fill top bottle to overflow and the straw drops on the glue

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, reaching only 81 words. Consequently, the information provided is severely underdeveloped. While the student attempts to describe the process, the explanation is fragmented and fails to clearly outline the steps involved in building the water clock. Key details from the diagram are missing or misinterpreted, such as the specific components and their functions. The overview is also insufficient, as it does not provide a clear summary of the process. To improve, the student must describe each stage of the diagram in detail, ensuring all parts of the prompt are addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response lacks logical organization and progression. While there is an attempt to use transition words like 'Firstly' and 'second', the overall structure is disjointed and confusing. Paragraphing is not used effectively to separate the introduction from the body of the process. The relationship between the steps is unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of the water clock construction. To improve, the student should group related steps into clear paragraphs and use a wider range of cohesive devices to link ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and often inaccurate, which hinders communication. Phrases such as 'products the water in clock' and 'trun of the tap' are non-standard and difficult to interpret. There is a lack of technical or descriptive vocabulary necessary to explain a mechanical process. The student relies on basic, repetitive language and struggles to find the correct terms for the items shown in the diagram. To improve, the student should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to processes and mechanisms, and practice using words in their correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede understanding. There are significant issues with sentence structure, verb tense, and word order, such as 'The diagram illustrate products' and 'thrid stage of fill top bottle'. Many sentences are incomplete or lack proper subject-verb agreement. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple, error-prone sentences. To improve, the student needs to focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that each sentence has a clear subject and verb, and work on correcting common errors in tense and article usage.

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