Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-20

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 diagram concludes the process for building a water clock.

Overall, the process consist of 7 steps, starting from tap opening to repeating process for timing things. Moreover, it requires apparatus of plastic bottle, tape, straw and stand.

Firstly, the tap flows the water in a plastic bottle. The plastic bottle is kept constant in the stand with the support of tape and contains first hole in the top level of water, whereas another one is at the bottom of the bottle. The hole at the bottom is covered with fingers and is filled top bottle to overflow the running water from the straw which is attached with the support of glue.

On the other hand, the finger at the bottom of the bottle is taken away from hole.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the task by describing the diagram that illustrates the process of making a water clock. However, it lacks detailed information regarding the specific steps shown in the diagram. For instance, the student mentions ‘7 steps’ but does not clearly outline each step of the process, which limits the clarity and completeness of the response. Additionally, the conclusion that the diagram shows how to build a water clock is vague and does not provide enough detail on how to effectively carry out the process, resulting in a Band 5 for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The coherence and cohesion of the response are somewhat inadequate. The student attempts to structure their writing by using connectors such as "firstly" and "on the other hand," but the overall flow of information is disrupted by awkward phrasing. For example, phrases like "Moreover, it requires apparatus of plastic bottle, tape, straw and stand" could be better organized as a complete list, enhancing the readability. Additionally, poorly connected ideas leave the reader struggling to follow the progression of steps, which contributes to a Band 5 in coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The lexical resource demonstrates a limited range of vocabulary and occasional inaccuracies, which detracts from the clarity of the explanation. Phrases like "apparatus of plastic bottle" are awkward and would benefit from rephrasing, such as "items needed include a plastic bottle." While there are attempts at more complex vocabulary, they are not always used correctly (e.g., "concludes" instead of "illustrates" or "depicts"). This results in a Band 5 for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

Grammatical range and accuracy are present but plagued with errors that impact the readability of the response. The phrase, "the process consist of 7 steps," contains a subject-verb agreement error and should be written as "the process consists of 7 steps." Moreover, there are instances of run-on sentences and unclear antecedents, which obscure the meaning of the explanations provided. This leads to a Band 5 for grammatical range and accuracy.

Overall feedback

Your response reflects a basic understanding of how to build a water clock, but it would be significantly improved with clearer organization and more detailed descriptions of each step involved in the process. Focus on providing a clear structure that outlines each step in a logical sequence, and ensure you include all necessary components mentioned in the diagram. Additionally, enhancing your vocabulary choices and using more accurate grammatical structures will help convey your ideas more effectively. Aim to vary sentence structure as well to showcase your grammatical range. To achieve a higher band, practice writing more cohesively connected ideas and check for grammatical consistency.

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

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