Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

Built a water clock by providing material

In the ancient time when people don't have clothes they use water clock and sun clock to see the time. so in the passage we run how to make water clock.

firstly we need tap plastic bottle safe cutter pencil strqw and stand.

so start to make water clock firstly we need tap to fix on a wall second we cut on a plastic bottle and third plastic bottle overflow after that we need stroke and insert on a bottle later we remove our hand from the cut on 6 time we mark on a plastic jar which is below down on plastic bottle. and then we have to measure the time of licking water from my from the bottle and repeat the process after time.

so it is the process of making water clock.

from my way of point you can easily make water clock and experience the ancient time in the history of watching time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response responds to the task only minimally and tangentially. The writer attempts to describe the process of making a water clock based on the diagram, but the account is heavily obscured by personal commentary and a misunderstanding of the task format, turning a formal academic report into an informal narrative. The overview lacks a clear summary of the overall process, and key stages—such as the continuous water level, the role of the overflow straw, and the calibration of the lower bottle—are either severely distorted, confused, or omitted entirely. The student lists the numbered stages in a fragmented manner rather than presenting a coherent, objective description suitable for a university lecturer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

Information and ideas are not arranged coherently. The text lacks clear paragraphing, grouping unrelated thoughts into a single block of text with arbitrary line breaks. While basic transition words like 'firstly' and 'after that' are attempted, the overall progression of the process is difficult to follow because referencing is unclear (for example, pronouns and demonstratives do not clearly point to the intended apparatus items). The lack of clear spatial and sequential links means the steps bleed into one another, making the chronological flow confusing and mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, utilizing restricted terms to describe the equipment and stages. There are numerous word choice and spelling errors that strain the reader, such as 'strqw' for straw, 'licking' for leaking/dripping, and 'stroke' instead of straw. The range of vocabulary is limited to simple nouns and verbs, and attempts at less common lexical items related to the diagram are inaccurate or confused. Spelling and word-form errors occur throughout the text, impeding smooth communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences strung together with coordinating conjunctions. Errors are frequent and often distort meaning, such as missing articles ('in ancient time'), incorrect verb tenses ('when people don't have clothes'), and fragmented clause structures ('so in the passage we run how to make water clock'). Punctuation is largely absent, with sentences running on without proper terminal stops or capitalization. These persistent errors cause frequent difficulty for the reader in parsing the intended grammatical relationships.

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