Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-27

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 how a water clock is made.

Overall, the process of building a water clock is cyclic and it is built by following the seven stages, beginning from opening the tap and ending with emptying the plastic bottle and repeating the process for timing things.

At first, the tap which is placed above a plastic bottle is opened, allowing the water to all into the bottle. After that, the hole which is present in the bottom part of the bottle is covered using a finger to stop the from falling below. Next, the bottle in the top is filled with water until it over flows from the straw placed in the upper section of the bottle using glue. Following this, the constant level of water is maintained with the area where the straw is penetrated. The water is then allowed to fall in the lower bottle after removing the finger from the hole at the bottom of the upper bottle.

Once the water starts to fill in the lower bottle with its neck cut off, the bottle is marked using a pen to record the levels per minute which serves our purpose. Finally, the lower bottle is emptied and the process can be repeated for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all stages of the process clearly and provides a logical overview. You have successfully identified the key steps, such as filling the bottle, maintaining the water level via the straw, and marking the lower bottle. The information is accurate and well-developed, meeting the requirements for a process description. To reach a higher band, ensure that all technical details are described with complete precision; for instance, the description of the straw's function could be slightly more explicit regarding how it regulates the overflow. Overall, the response is well-structured and addresses the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized, moving step-by-step through the process. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'At first', 'After that', 'Next', 'Following this', and 'Finally' to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the main process steps, and the conclusion. The progression of ideas is clear, and the relationship between the upper and lower bottles is well-maintained throughout the text. The flow is smooth, and the use of referencing is generally effective, contributing to a coherent piece of writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the process, using terms like 'cyclic', 'maintained', 'penetrated', and 'record'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'water to all into the bottle' (likely a typo for 'fall') and 'stop the from falling' (missing noun). While these do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Using more precise technical vocabulary related to the apparatus would enhance the lexical score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Once the water starts to fill in the lower bottle with its neck cut off, the bottle is marked...'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'water to all into' and 'the bottle in the top is filled', which are slightly awkward. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and preposition errors, such as 'area where the straw is penetrated'. Despite these, the meaning is always clear, and the errors do not cause difficulty for the reader. Increasing the variety of complex structures would improve the score.

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

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