Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The diagram provide information about university lectures teaching how to build your own water clock.

overall, The construction of water clock include seven steps. where in all the process tell about how to maintain water level so water doest het wasted.

First steps, open the tap and fill water into container than cover the hole bottle with finger which attached to stand so water can not be leak. Till top bottle get filled up if its may overflow the extra water drain out from straw to maintain level constant.

Furthermore, In 5th steps, Remove the finger from hole and water goes into lower plastic bottle hole and check the level per minute. In final steps shows empty of whole process to repeat because of timing things and thhop

its clear that, whole process about water clock becuse the extra water can't wasted.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response attempts to describe the process of building a water clock, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, containing only 142 words. This shortfall directly impacts the completeness of the response. While the student identifies that the process involves several steps (mentioning seven steps and referring to filling containers, opening taps, and checking water levels), the explanation is superficial and lacks the necessary detail and clarity expected of an Academic Task 1 report. Furthermore, there are misinterpretations of the visual information, such as stating that 'the whole process about water clock becuse the extra water cant wasted'. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The response attempts some basic organisation, dividing the text into brief paragraphs and employing a few transitional markers such as 'First steps', 'Furthermore', and 'In final steps'. However, the overall progression is disjointed and lacks a clear logical flow. Referencing is frequently unclear, as seen in phrases like 'the whole process about water clock becuse the extra water cant wasted' and abrupt endings like 'and thhop'. Paragraphing is inconsistent, and cohesive devices are used clumsily rather than flexibly, which results in a mechanical structure that hinders the readability of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very limited and basic, restricting the writer's ability to describe the technical process accurately. Words are frequently misspelled or misused, such as 'het' instead of 'get', 'doest' instead of 'doesn't', and 'becuse' instead of 'because'. There are also awkward word choices and unidiomatic phrases like 'timing things and thhop'. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic of water and containers, the high frequency of lexical errors and lack of less common items prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammatical range is extremely limited, consisting mostly of simple and attempted complex sentences that are heavily flawed. There are frequent and systematic errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure, such as 'The diagram provide information', 'where in all the process tell', and 'Till top bottle get filled up if its may overflow the extra water drain out'. Punctuation and capitalization are also erratic, with sentences starting with lowercase letters or ending abruptly. These numerous basic errors frequently cause difficulty for the reader and obscure the intended meaning.

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