Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-07

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 provided process diagram enumerates the step-by-step process of building a household water clock in a convenient and efficient manner.

As an overview, there are in total seven different stages whi9ch is placed one after the other to achieve the task of making one's own water clock, starting with enabling the tap water to flow and ultimately discharging the water at a final stage to start a fresh new cycle.

At a cursory glance, at the beginning of the cycle, the tap water runs through a plastic bottle that is held by a stand at a fixed position. The upper half of the bottle is attached to the top end of the stand, while the bottom half is tied to the base of the stand. Additionally, the plastic straw is attached to the slightly lower area of the bottle neck to flush out the excessive water, which serves as a discharge outlet.

Furthermore, the water flows through the upper half of a plastic bottle with a hole in the bottom to be covered with a finger when needed, which ultimately drops into the lower half where the levels are marked and measured every minute of an hour.

To recapitulate, all seven stages are linked in such a manner to accomplish the water clock, which measures the readings just like a normal clock in an efficient manner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the process, but it fails to clearly describe the specific steps shown in the diagram. The description is somewhat vague, referring to 'seven stages' without clearly delineating them. The explanation of the mechanism (the flow of water and the measurement) is slightly confusing, particularly the mention of a finger covering a hole, which is not clearly linked to the overall function of the clock. To improve, ensure each step is described sequentially and accurately based on the visual information provided, rather than using general summaries.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'At a cursory glance', and 'To recapitulate' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the connection between the sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall flow is occasionally interrupted by slightly awkward phrasing, which makes the logical progression feel a bit forced rather than natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some attempts at more precise language like 'enumerates', 'discharging', and 'recapitulate'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'placed one after the other to achieve the task' and 'slightly lower area of the bottle neck'. The range is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score. Spelling is generally accurate, with the exception of the typo 'whi9ch'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('there are in total seven different stages whi9ch is placed') and awkward phrasing ('to accomplish the water clock'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction is occasionally clunky. The errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. More attention to sentence variety and grammatical precision is needed.

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

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