Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-29

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 5.5)

The given diagram illustrates how to built water clock.

Overall, water clock consists seven steps starting from tap on and ending on the empty and repeat process for timing things. Two plastic bottles are used in the process.

The process begins with tap on in which tap is turn on to flow water. A L shape stand is use to adjust the bottles. One bottle is taped to the top of the stand and the second bottle is placed on the bottom part of the stand. A straw is connected near the mouth of top bottle to stop overflow. The third step is to fill the top bottle to overflow. The hole of top bottle is covered with finger. When the level of top bottle become constant take finger off the hole. Then mark the levels at bottom bottle after every minute. Finally, when top bottle gets empty fill it again and repeat the same process for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the process, identifying the equipment and the sequence of steps. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, professional tone suitable for a university lecturer. While the key stages are mentioned, the explanation of the 'overflow' mechanism and the marking process is slightly underdeveloped, making it difficult for a reader to fully grasp the technical function of the clock. To reach a higher band, you should aim to synthesize the information more effectively rather than simply listing the steps, and ensure the purpose of each component is clearly explained.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into two paragraphs, which is a good start. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on simple transitions like 'The process begins' and 'Then'. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect the technical steps logically. Furthermore, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'The hole of top bottle is covered with finger,' where the connection to the previous step could be smoother. Improving the variety of cohesive devices would significantly enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You use simple terms like 'tap on' and 'turn on' repeatedly. There is an attempt to use technical vocabulary, but it is often imprecise or grammatically incorrect, such as 'tap on' instead of 'turning on the tap' or 'L shape stand' instead of 'L-shaped stand'. To improve, you should incorporate more precise verbs and nouns related to mechanical processes, such as 'facilitate', 'regulate', 'calibrate', or 'apparatus'. The range is currently limited, which restricts your ability to describe the process with precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'how to built water clock' (should be 'build'), 'tap is turn on' (should be 'turned on'), and 'level of top bottle become constant' (should be 'becomes'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited use of complex sentences. Subject-verb agreement and article usage (e.g., 'the' before 'top bottle') are inconsistent. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically verb tenses and the correct use of articles, before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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