Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-02

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 given diagram illustrates the procedure of making a water clock.

The apparatus used is this process are tap, two plastic bottles, straw, tape, glue, stand, pen.

The process will begins with by adjusting two bottles with the help of tape, one at the top of the stand, with slightly hole at the bottom, additionally attached the straw nearly to the top of the bottle with the assist of glue. Moreover, second bottle at the bottom of the stand with neck cut off.

Firstly, water drawn in to the bottle after opening the tap, at the same with the help of finger hole will be covered. Until the bottle fill up with water and get overflow from the attached straw. After that, close the tap and wait till the level become constant. Thereafter, finger will be removed form bottom and let the water flow drop by drop in bottom bottle. measure the water, when reached to level 1, will count as a one minute and time will be measured each level per minute.

Once the top bottle become vacant, repeat the process for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main stages of the process, but the description is often unclear or confusing. For example, the instruction 'slightly hole at the bottom' is grammatically awkward and lacks precision. The explanation of how the clock functions—specifically the interaction between the finger, the straw, and the water levels—is difficult to follow, which hinders the reader's understanding of the mechanism. While the response identifies the key components, the lack of clarity in the procedural steps means the information is not fully developed or accurately conveyed. To improve, focus on describing the sequence of actions more logically and precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the internal structure is weak. While some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'Firstly', and 'Thereafter' are used, they are often applied mechanically or incorrectly, such as 'at the same with the help of finger hole'. The progression of ideas is disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the steps of the process feel like a list of instructions rather than a cohesive report. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track which bottle or part of the apparatus is being referred to at any given time.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward word choice and incorrect collocations, such as 'slightly hole' instead of 'a small hole', 'water drawn in to the bottle' instead of 'water is poured into', and 'timing things' which is too informal for an academic report. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles to describe the technical process accurately. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise verbs and nouns related to mechanical processes, such as 'affix', 'calibrate', 'orifice', or 'accumulate'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with article usage ('the apparatus used is this process'), subject-verb agreement ('The process will begins'), and sentence structure (e.g., 'at the same with the help of finger hole will be covered'). Many sentences are fragmented or lack necessary prepositions. While there is an attempt to use complex structures, they are often faulty, leading to confusion. A focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the clarity of your writing.

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