Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-03

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 6.0)

The diagram below depicts the information on the process of making a water clock starting from the first stage which is tap on and till the last stage which is the empty and repeat process for timing things.

For making a water clock we need to look into the certain stages which are required in order to construct it. First stage is tap on which will allow the inflow of water into a plastic bottle. Plastic bottle is attached to a stand with the help of a tape. It has a hole at the bottom and just above the center it has straw which was glued to outflow the extra amount of water. In the second, third and fourth stage, we need to cover the bottom hole with finger so that the plastic bottle can be filled with water upto a certain limit which will be the level constant and after that the straw will outflow the subsidary water. After that we will remove our finger so that it will allow the water to travel from hole to another plastic bottle which is located at the bottom of stand which has scale showing levels of minute.

In conclusion, to construct your own water clock you should follow the steps which are mentioned above.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by covering the overall process of making and operating a water clock. However, some aspects are developed more fully than others. The writer successfully identifies key components like the plastic bottle, stand, straw, and tap, and outlines the sequential stages from turning on the tap to timing events. Yet, certain stages, such as the calibration of the lower bottle and the continuous water level maintenance, are somewhat generalized and lack clarity in their mechanical description. To reach a higher band, the student needs to extend and support all mechanical details more precisely, ensuring the relationship between the overflow straw, the dripping hole, and the measurement scale is clearly and fully explained without under-developed steps.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The report presents an overall coherent arrangement, moving from an introductory statement through the procedural body to a brief concluding summary. The progression of ideas generally follows the sequential stages of the diagram. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the abrupt transitions between sentences in the main body paragraph ("In the second, third and fourth stage...") where multiple distinct steps are lumped together. Paragraphing is also under-utilized, as nearly the entire body of the report is compressed into a single dense paragraph. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the writer should employ a wider variety of cohesive devices more flexibly and break the process down into logical, distinct paragraphs corresponding to different phases of construction and operation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic concepts related to the equipment and steps, such as "plastic bottle", "stand", and "overflow". The student attempts less common vocabulary items like "inflow", "subsidary", and "construction", but these attempts reveal some inaccuracy in word choice and spelling ("subsidary" instead of subsidiary). Additionally, phrasing tends to rely on repetitive and mechanical expressions ("tap on", "for making a water clock") rather than more sophisticated academic collocations. To achieve a higher band, the writer must expand their lexical range and improve precision in word choice and collocation, ensuring that less common technical terms are used accurately and naturally without distracting errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting multi-clause sentences with relative pronouns and prepositional phrases (e.g., "...another plastic bottle which is located at the bottom of stand which has scale showing levels of minute"). There are some recurring errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly missing articles ("to look into the certain stages", "at bottom of stand"), incorrect prepositions, and awkward relative clauses. Fortunately, these errors rarely impede overall communication. To progress further, the writer needs to produce a higher frequency of error-free complex sentences, maintain tighter control over article usage and prepositional patterns, and refine punctuation to ensure greater syntactic accuracy throughout the text.

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