Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-18

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 illustrate process of building own water clock.

Overall, the process includes seven different stages starting from turning the tap on allows flow of water to culminating emptying and repeating process for timing things.

Initially, Water is allowed to flow from the tap inside a plastic bottle which was attached with stand pole and glued around with tape. A small hole is made at the bottom of the bottle and this hole is covered with finger to prevent water flow. A straw is placed horizontally at the upper end of the bottle by making up a small hole and glued it properly so, that straw doesn't fall out at this stage, fill up the bottle with water to overflow. Then, the water fills the bottle is level constant. The finger is removed away from the hole and at the same time water get out of the bottle through straw and bottom hole continuously. The water from the bottom of the hole is collected in a plastic jar with marking levels and levels per minute is noted. which sums up the process of making own water clock. Empty the water and repeat the same procedure for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student covers all seven stages of the water clock diagram and provides a clear overview of the process from start to finish. Key features such as the upper bottle, the tap, the overflow straw, the lower bottle with calibration markings, and the sequential steps are all accurately reported. However, the response is somewhat simplistic in its selection of details and lacks full extension in places. The description relies heavily on a chronological play-by-play rather than a more integrated summary of the mechanical components. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The report has a coherent overall arrangement, featuring an introductory sentence, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph that follows the chronological sequence of the diagram. However, referencing and paragraphing are somewhat faulty. The body paragraph is a single, dense block of text that merges multiple distinct stages together, making it difficult to read. Cohesive devices are occasionally used awkwardly, such as 'which sums up the process', and transitional links between sentences are basic and mechanical. Paragraphing should be used more effectively to separate distinct phases of the manufacturing and testing process, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, incorporating process-specific terms such as 'overflow', 'horizontally', 'continuously', and 'calibration' (implied by 'marking levels'). However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'illustrate process' missing an article, 'fill up the bottle with water to overflow' rather than 'until it overflows', and 'water get out'. Attempts at less common vocabulary are inconsistent, and there are repetitive structures ('the water fills the bottle', 'the water from the bottom'). These inaccuracies place the vocabulary firmly in the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range, demonstrating an adequate but restricted lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'starting from turning the tap on allows flow of water to culminating emptying'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The diagram illustrate'), missing articles ('process of building own water clock'), and awkward phrasing ('by making up a small hole'). Run-on sentences and punctuation lapses also occur, which cause occasional difficulty for the reader. Because errors are frequent in complex structures, the writing aligns best with Band 5.5.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.