Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-30

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 6.0)

The figure demonstrates the structure of building a water clock. It shows the stages involved in the making of the water clock.

It can be inferred that we need a water tap, a plastic bottle with hole in the bottom, a tape, a stand for holding the bottle and a plastic bottle with the neck cutoff. Now, we place the plastic bottle with the hole, at the top of the stand attached with help of the tape and place the plastic bottle with the neck cutoff on the bottom of the stand. In this way we have the arrangement for the water clock.

Now, the water is filled in the top bottle with the help of the water tap and we use finger to cover the hole of the bottom of bottle until the water is filled to the level constant and it comes out of the straw. Now we take away the finger from the hole, and the water is dripping to the below placed bottle. We mark the levels per minute with the help of pencil on the plastic bottle placed at the bottom.We can repeat the above process for marking timings precisely.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the process of building a water clock, identifying the necessary components and the steps involved. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview or summary of the process as a whole. While the steps are generally followed, the explanation of the 'straw' and the 'level constant' is slightly confusing, as these elements were not clearly introduced in the initial list of materials. To reach a higher band, you should provide a more cohesive summary of the overall mechanism and ensure that all technical details mentioned in the diagram are clearly explained in relation to the final function of the clock.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive, with 'now' being used frequently to start sentences. The transition between the preparation phase and the operational phase could be smoother. While the logical progression is generally clear, the lack of varied linking words and the somewhat simplistic sentence structure limit the flow. Improving the use of transition signals (e.g., 'subsequently', 'once this is complete', 'thereafter') would enhance the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the reader to understand the process. You use some relevant technical terms like 'arrangement', 'inferred', and 'precisely'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'neck cutoff' and 'below placed bottle'. To improve, try to use more precise collocations and a wider variety of verbs to describe the actions, rather than relying on basic verbs like 'place' or 'take away'. The vocabulary is sufficient for communication but lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'with hole in the bottom' (missing an article), 'at the top of the stand attached with help of the tape' (awkward prepositional usage), and 'water is filled in the top bottle' (passive voice usage could be more natural). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the process, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy. Increasing the variety of complex structures and focusing on article usage and prepositional accuracy would help improve this score.

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

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