Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-02

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 illustrates the process of making a water clock.First, you need to turn the tap on from which water is going to fell into a plastic bottle.Bottle is hanged by a satnd in addition it has some holes in it.Cover those holes with your fingers and fill the bottle until its overflow. when it reached at a certain level water is going to pass through a straw from top to the side. After all this, keep you finger away from the holes which can cause water to move downward or fell in the bottom bottle .In the bottom bottle,It tells us about the level of water per mintue.In the end,when this particular plastic bottleis filled,you need to empty it.Repeat the whole process from start till the end. I can analyze that we can calcualte the time with this technique whenever a bottle is filled it tells us about a minute had been passed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially, attempting to describe the steps required to build a water clock based on the visual data. While it touches upon key stages such as turning on the tap, covering holes, and filling the bottle, the description lacks sufficient extension and clarity regarding the overall process. Some details are slightly confused or under-developed, such as the explanation of the overflow mechanism and the calibration of the lower bottle. To achieve a higher band, the report would need to present a clearer, more fully developed overview of the entire process from start to finish, ensuring all key features of the diagram are accurately and comprehensively described.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates some organization with a basic chronological sequence, beginning with introductory remarks and moving through the steps of the process. However, there is no clear overall progression, and the text lacks appropriate paragraphing, being presented as a single dense block. Cohesive devices are minimal, mechanical, or somewhat repetitive (e.g., relying on basic transitional words like 'First', 'After all this', and 'In the end'). Furthermore, referencing is occasionally unclear, making it hard to follow which container is being referred to at certain points. Better paragraph separation and a wider, more natural variety of linking devices are needed to improve the overall flow and logical development.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is somewhat limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student attempts some less common terms and process-related verbs, but there are noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word form throughout the text (such as 'felled' instead of 'flow', 'hanged' instead of 'suspended', 'satnd' instead of 'stand', 'mintue' instead of 'minute', and 'calcualte' instead of 'calculate'). These lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors sometimes cause slight difficulty for the reader. To improve in this area, the writer needs to expand their range of functional vocabulary for describing mechanical processes and pay closer attention to accurate word formation and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few basic attempts at complex clauses that are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in verb forms, prepositions, articles, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Bottle is hanged by a satnd', 'when it reached at a certain level', 'keep you finger away', 'a minute had been passed'). These frequent grammatical errors cause strain and occasional difficulty for the reader. To reach a higher standard, the student must incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex structures and ensure tighter control over basic grammatical patterns, tense consistency, and punctuation.

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.