Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-12
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 image illustrates the labelled diagram of building water clock.
Overall, process involves total of seven steps with the help of various instruments such as plastic bottle, straw, tape, glue, stand and a pencil to mark the level of water. The process is begin with the opening of the tap water into plastic bottle and ending with the empty bottle to repeat the process.
The diagram shows that a plastic bottle bind with the stand with the help of tape. Then, joined a straw at the neck of bottle with the glue and place the bottom part of bottle at the base of stand to mark the water level with pencil.
Initially, tape is opened to pour the water into the plastic bottle by placing a finger at the bottom hole of a plastic bottle. After water filled at the top of bottle reaching at the level constant where a straw is joined, uncover the bottom hole and let the water drop into the the plastic bottle. This plastic bottle has mentioned the levels per minute to measure the water level with a pencil. When all the water is drawn into the plastic bottle through a bottom hole then throw away the water and repeat process for timing things.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully covers all parts of the task by describing the main steps involved in making a water clock. An adequate overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining that the process involves seven steps using various materials such as a plastic bottle, straw, tape, and a pencil. Key stages of the process are mentioned, such as attaching the straw, marking the water levels, and allowing water to drop through the bottom hole. However, some details are slightly unclear or awkwardly expressed, such as 'empty bottle to repeat the process' and how the timing mechanism works. Overall, the response addresses the prompt effectively, earning a solid band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The report displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Logical transitions are attempted using cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Then', 'Initially', and 'After'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in phrases like 'After water filled at the top of bottle reaching at the level constant where a straw is joined'. Paragraphing is present, but the logical progression within the final paragraph becomes slightly tangled due to grammatical inaccuracies, making the sequence of actions harder to follow smoothly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating process-related terms such as 'plastic bottle', 'straw', 'tape', 'glue', and 'water level'. However, there are notable word-choice and collocation errors throughout the response, such as 'process is begin with', 'plastic bottle bind with the stand', and 'timing things'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they reflect a limited control over less common lexical items, keeping the lexical score at a modest level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complex structures frequently contain grammatical errors. Examples of structural and grammatical inaccuracies include 'The given image illustrates the labelled diagram of building water clock' (missing articles), 'process involves total of seven steps', 'joined a straw at the neck of bottle' (missing subject), and 'This plastic bottle has mentioned the levels' (incorrect active/passive voice). Frequent errors in prepositions, articles, and verb forms cause some difficulty for the reader, placing this response at band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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