Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-15

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 diagram illustrates an image of a step by step guide on how to make a water clock of your own. Overall the apparatus needed for the clock are a stand to tape a half cut plastic bottle to and a straw followed by the remanent of the plastic bottle and water. Water is indespensible in this process, the image depicts a running Faucet right above a plastice bottle which is taped to a stand. As the water is being filled in the bottle, there has been made a small hole in the very bottom of the container which needs to be blocked by the finger till thw water overflows through the cap, pouring the water straight down to the remaining half cutted flask which is situated right below the taped one. Another hole is present on the right top of it through which a straw passes which is glued to the flask on the contrary a pencil is used to mark the volume of the water which is being poured down to the remaining container.Furthermore leveling needs to be done every minute. After the bottle have gone empty repeat process for timing things

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to describe the process of making a water clock as shown in the diagram. An overview is attempted at the beginning, noting the apparatus required. However, the description of the stages is confusing, overly dense, and lacks clear sequential ordering. Key steps, such as the seven numbered stages indicated in the diagram (tap on, cover hole, fill to overflow, maintain constant level, release finger, mark levels per minute, and empty for timing), are lumped together into a long, run-on sentence. The response addresses the task only partially and fails to clearly delineate the progression of steps from construction to operation, resulting in a Band 5 score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text suffers from poor paragraphing, being presented as a single dense block of text rather than distinct paragraphs for an introduction, equipment overview, and sequential steps. Cohesive devices are weak and misused (e.g., 'on the contrary' is used incorrectly). Referencing is also problematic, with ambiguous pronouns like 'it' and 'one' making it difficult for the reader to track whether the student is referring to the upper bottle, lower container, or stand. There is a lack of clear progression, leading to a disjointed reading experience. This aligns with Band 5 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is a mix of basic and attempted less common items, but with noticeable errors in word choice and spelling. For example, 'indespensible' is misspelled, 'half cut' and 'half cutted' are awkward phrasings, and 'Faucet' is capitalized unnecessarily. The student attempts terms related to the diagram ('apparatus', 'overflow', 'calibration' implied through marking volume), but inaccuracies in collocation and word formation (such as 'remanent') restrict the score to a Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on long, convoluted run-on sentences connected by commas rather than proper subordination or coordination. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'As the water is being filled in the bottle, there has been made a small hole', 'till thw water', and 'After the bottle have gone empty repeat process'. Punctuation is largely neglected, missing periods between independent clauses. These persistent errors cause difficulty for the reader and reflect Band 5 performance.

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