Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-21

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 report illustrates the process to make a water clock. A step-by-step procedure is elaborated in the report , following which, one will be able to make a water clock.

The apparatus needed to build a water clock includes a stand, a plastic bottle, a beaker, a tape and a straw.

First of all put the beaker on the bottom of the stand and tie the plastic bottle on the top of the stand with help of the tape.

Secondly make two holes, one on the right side of the bottle and put the straw inside the hole using glue so the straw could stick with the hole and other at the bottom so water could fall into the beaker. Now the apparatus has been set up so water could be added.

Fill the bottle with tap water while covering the hole of the straw with your finger. Let the bottle fill the to the top and then remove the finger to let water to come down to the level of straw.

When the water level reaches below the straw the water will fall into the beaker from the bottom hole. Now take the readings from the beaker per minute. Empty the beaker and repeat the process to timing the tasks

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses the prompt by describing the seven-stage process for building a water clock. The overall mechanism and sequence of steps are clearly identified, covering the apparatus required and the operation from filling the bottle to taking readings. However, there are minor inaccuracies in naming the components, such as referring to the bottom container as a 'beaker' rather than a plastic bottle with its neck cut off. Additionally, the overview could be slightly more integrated into the introduction. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task well, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text is arranged with a logical overall progression, moving from an introduction to the required equipment, and then sequentially through the building and operational steps. Paragraphing is used, though the body of the text would benefit from being broken down into smaller paragraphs representing distinct phases (e.g., construction versus operation). Cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical (e.g., 'First of all', 'Secondly', 'Now'), and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting pronouns between 'your finger' and general instructions. Punctuation errors around commas also disrupt the flow slightly. This places the response firmly in the Band 6 range for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying technical actions such as 'plug', 'fill', 'drain', and 'take readings'. The writer attempts less common vocabulary phrases like 'step-by-step procedure' and 'apparatus'. However, there are noticeable word-choice inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'tie the plastic bottle on the top' instead of 'attach', and 'repeat the process to timing the tasks' instead of 'to time the tasks'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical limitations and minor slips prevent the score from reaching a higher band, placing it at a 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'so water could fall into the beaker' and 'When the water level reaches below the straw...'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are several missing articles and prepositions (e.g., 'fill the to the top', 'put the beaker on the bottom'), run-on clauses, and punctuation errors, including a stray comma before a space in the first paragraph. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to typify the Band 6 descriptor.

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