Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-14
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 diagram illustrates the process of building the water clock, and completes in the seven stages.
overall, the process consists of the seven stages, beginning with the tap from where water droplets are coming and these all are being collected in the plastic funnel.
Firstly, on turning the tap on the water droplets started to pass through the hole of the funnel then, these drops are passed through the straw which is attached to the plastic bottle. Following this a tape is round across the bottle and the bottle is attached with a stand. After that at the bottom of the bottle there is a small hole through which the water droplets passed and then entered in the bottle which is marked at certain points and its neck is cut off.
At last these marked points are indicating the level at which the water droplets flowing as per minute and this process repeated many times as the the bottle got empty again. This process follows a sequence for timing different things.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main steps of the water clock manufacturing process, attempting to provide an overview followed by chronological details. However, Task Achievement is limited by inaccuracies in interpreting the diagram. For instance, the student states that water goes from a plastic funnel into a straw attached to a plastic bottle, and then through a tape, which misrepresents the actual visual steps shown in the illustration. While the seven-stage sequence is mentioned, the description lacks the precision and fully developed clarity expected at higher bands. Therefore, it fits best at Band 5.5 for partially addressing the visual data with noticeable inaccuracies in the sequence and feature selection.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The report attempts an overall logical progression by moving sequentially through the stages of the process, using sequence markers such as 'Firstly', 'Following this', 'After that', and 'At last'. However, paragraphing is poorly handled, with the text compressed into two very blocky paragraphs, including an awkward start to the second paragraph ('overall, the process...'). Furthermore, referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'these drops' and 'these marked points', which weakens cohesive ties. Cohesive devices are occasionally mechanical or inaccurate, resulting in a Band 5.5 performance for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary to describe a technical process, including terms like 'droplets', 'funnel', 'straw', and 'stand'. However, there are notable lexical errors and unnatural collocations throughout the text, such as 'completes in the seven stages' instead of 'consists of seven stages', and 'a tape is round across the bottle' instead of 'wrapped around'. Spelling and word formation errors also appear, limiting precision. Because the vocabulary is minimally adequate for the task but contains frequent inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, it is awarded a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses ('straw which is attached') and participial phrases. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors including missing articles ('in the seven stages'), tense inconsistencies ('started to pass', 'are passed'), and punctuation issues. Run-on structures also occur, such as '...marked at certain points and its neck is cut off.' These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from achieving a higher band, placing it solidly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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