Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-17

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 Graph Illustrates the process for making a water clock, the whole process is divided into 7 stages from tap on water to repeat process for timing things.

Overall, The build up process of water clock initiate from the water from tap that drops in the plastic bottle and though cover hole from where water drops down into the plastic bottle (neck cut off). Once the water fillup till bottle neck, the water overflow through the straw that is connected throgh a glue to a bottle neck and water level consistent

Therfore, below plastic jar levels the water per minute during the process and thats how last process started jar become empy and repeat the whole process for timing things by building own water clock

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process for making a water clock, identifying the 7 stages shown in the diagram. However, the word count is only 125 words, failing to meet the minimum requirement of 150 words. This under-length impacts the overall task achievement as the description remains brief and lacks full development of the sequential steps. While the overview touches upon the main beginning and end points, key details regarding how the apparatus is assembled—such as the vertical stand, the specific placement of the straw, and the calibration process—are either missed or expressed in a confusing manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is structured into an introduction and two body paragraphs, attempting an overall progression. However, cohesion is frequently faulty and mechanical, making it difficult to follow the logical sequence of the process. Phrases like 'Therfore, below plastic jar levels the water per minute' lack clarity and logical connection to preceding sentences. Referencing is often unclear, such as pronoun use and ambiguous nouns like 'jar become empy'. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within sentences breaks down due to run-on structures and missing punctuation.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with several awkward collocations and word-choice errors. Examples include 'build up process', 'though cover hole', 'fillup till bottle neck', and 'water level consistent'. There are also frequent spelling and typographical errors such as 'Therfore', 'empy', and lowercase beginnings at inappropriate places. While the student attempts less common terms related to the diagram, inaccurate usage and non-standard phrasing restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple or poorly linked clauses that contain frequent structural errors. There are numerous grammatical failures, such as missing verbs ('water level consistent' instead of 'the water level remains constant') and faulty prepositional phrases ('connected throgh a glue to a bottle neck'). Punctuation is weak, leading to run-on sentences like the opening sentence which uses a comma splice. Errors are frequent and occasionally impede the reader's understanding.

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

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