Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-22

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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates the various stages involved in making a water clock.

Overall, the process starts with the opening of a tap for water and ends with repeating the process for accurate timing. However, the process involves various stages such as covering hole, filling bottle to overflow, water leveling, removing finger, and levels per minute.

Starting with the initial stage, open the tap to fill the plastic bottle taped on upper side of the stand with water. Then, cover the hole at the bottom of the bottle with finger. The bottle is then filled with water to overflow. Once the bottle is filled with water, it overflows through the straw attached with glue to the neck of the bottle to maintain the water level inside the bottle.

In the remaining stages, as soon as the water level is maintained, remove the finger covering the hole of the bottle. The water starts falling in the another plastic bottle below it, whose neck is cut off. Once the water starts falling in the another bottle, the filled levels are noted per minute. Furthermore, after the marking the bottle is emptied and the process is repeated to obtain the accurate timing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all stages of the process shown in the diagram. You have identified the key steps, from the initial setup of the stand and bottle to the final calibration process. The overview provides a clear summary of the beginning and end of the procedure. However, the description of some steps could be more precise; for instance, the explanation of the straw's function to 'maintain the water level' is a good observation, but the transition between the stages could be more fluid. Overall, you have provided a clear and accurate report that addresses the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The report is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that follow the chronological order of the process. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Starting with', 'Once', 'Furthermore', and 'In the remaining stages' to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the initial setup from the operational phase. While the flow is generally good, some sentences feel slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between sentences is more varied and that referencing (e.g., 'the another bottle') is handled with greater grammatical precision.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using technical terms like 'overflow', 'maintained', and 'calibration' (implied by 'accurate timing'). There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'taped on upper side' (should be 'taped to the upper side') and 'the another plastic bottle' (should be 'the other plastic bottle'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more attention to articles and prepositions. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise process-related verbs would further enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical slips, particularly regarding article usage ('the another plastic bottle', 'the hole of the bottle') and prepositional phrases. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'the straw attached with glue to the neck', which could be more naturally phrased as 'the straw glued to the neck'. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the text, and the errors do not significantly hinder the reader's understanding of the process.

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