Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-27

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 given diagram illustrates the etapes for how to make your own water clock .

Overall , we commence with tapping on , till the last etape , which is emptying and repeating the process for timing things .

Firstly , we initiate our diagram by tapping on while covering the whole in the plastic bottel with our finger . The bottel is hold by the stand and the tape . Secondly , fill the top of the bottel to the overflow . Wehre we are able to see that theres a strow glued to the bottel we fill the bottel till that constant level . Besides , we take our finger away so that the first plastic bottel can fill slowly the other plastic bottel with no neck . Then , we observe the levels every minute . To sum up , we can hollow and repeat the process for the timing things .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process of making a water clock as shown in the diagram. While it mentions the general progression from turning on the tap to timing things, it fails to provide a fully clear and accurate description of all stages. Several details are vague or slightly inaccurate, such as how the lower bottle is described and the mechanics of the overflow straw. Furthermore, the report lacks a well-developed overview of the entire process, making the coverage partial. This aligns with Band 5, where the task is addressed only partially and key features are under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The report exhibits some basic organization through sequential transition words like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Then'. However, the overall progression is disrupted by poorly defined paragraphs and awkward linking. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun use and the sudden shift to first-person plural ('with our finger', 'we initiate'). Paragraphing is not used effectively to structure the report. These features reflect Band 5, showing some organization but lacking clear overall progression and making mechanical or inadequate use of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is very limited and basic, with frequent spelling and word-choice errors that detract from the writing. Examples of lexical errors include 'etapes' (steps), 'tapping on' (turning on the tap), 'whole' (hole), 'bottel' (bottle), 'hold' (held), 'Wehre' (Where), 'theres' (there is), 'strow' (straw), and 'hollow' (empty/repeat). These errors cause noticeable difficulty for the reader, matching the Band 5 descriptor where vocabulary is limited and noticeable errors occur frequently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response relies on a very limited range of sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences or passive descriptions result in frequent errors. Examples of grammatical and mechanical issues include 'is emptying and repeating' (faulty gerund usage), 'The bottel is hold by' (passive voice error), and run-on clauses without proper punctuation. Frequent errors in grammar and mechanics cause strain and difficulty for the reader, placing the response squarely in Band 5.

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

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