Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

first make a stand and put a palstic bottle then tie then bottle on top of stand by 90 degree and tie it with a tape then take a straw and stick it where the round shape of the bottle has ended with glue ofcourse make a hole in the lower portion of the upper part of the bottle and cover the hole with finger

now came to the lower part of the stand put a bottle cut from the milddle and place lower part of the bottle on the stand base make lavel on that bottle according to minutes now make the tap on and fill the uper body bottle with water and remove the finger from the hole as the water flow start your countdown will also start.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response fails to reach the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 130 words. Consequently, the description of the water clock process is somewhat incomplete and lacks the appropriate formal academic tone expected for Task 1. While the student identifies several stages from the diagram—such as constructing the stand, attaching the upper bottle, placing the straw overflow, covering the hole, and marking the lower bottle—the explanation is presented as a continuous, run-on instruction manual rather than an academic report. There is no clear introduction or overview. Due to the under-length penalty and the lack of a formal report structure, this response falls into the lower bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The text lacks proper paragraphing, presented instead as two dense, unpunctuated blocks of text. Cohesive devices are extremely limited, relying on basic connectors like 'then' and 'now' to link ideas. There is an absence of complex transitions or logical structuring that would guide the reader through the multi-stage mechanical process. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the lack of punctuation and sentence boundaries severely disrupts the logical flow and progression of information, placing it firmly at a lower band.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, featuring everyday words like 'make', 'put', 'tie', and 'bottle'. There are noticeable spelling errors, such as 'palstic' instead of plastic and 'lavel' instead of level, along with awkward phrasing like 'milddle' and 'uper body bottle'. The student attempts some topic-specific terms like 'straw', 'glue', and 'tap', but the overall lexical range is narrow and inadequate for a standard academic response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammatical range is severely restricted. The text consists almost entirely of run-on sentences joined by coordinating conjunctions or missing punctuation entirely. There is a complete lack of punctuation, capitalization at the beginning of sentences, and complex sentence structures. Frequent basic errors in punctuation and sentence boundaries impede readability and demonstrate very poor control over English grammar and mechanics.

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

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