Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-04

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 diagrammatical representations depict information about the how to build your own water clock.

In an overview, it is clearly seen that there are seven steps of this process which are starting from tap on and ends with empty and repeat process for timing things.

To begin with, on the tap and full the container with water but there is a hole in the bottle so cover holes with fingers. In the third step, fill top bottle to overflow after this step check the constant level of a water.

Shifting towards the remaining details, in the fifth step finger away from a hole. Afterthat, there is another plastic bottle stand which collect a water according to levels per minute. Lastly, empty a bottle and repeat process for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the main components of the diagram by outlining the seven steps required to build the water clock, providing a basic overview and mechanical progression. However, the explanation of the stages remains limited and under-developed, lacking a more thorough description of the physical components like the stand, straw, and bottle setup. Furthermore, the length requirement is not met, as the response falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 129 words. To reach a higher level, the writer must expand the descriptions of the visual data, fully detail every part of the apparatus, and ensure the word count exceeds the minimum threshold.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Transition phrases such as 'To begin with', 'In the third step', and 'Shifting towards the remaining details' are employed to guide the reader through the procedural steps. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when referring simply to 'a water' or 'another plastic bottle stand'. Paragraphing is present and logically separates the introduction from the body steps, but a smoother flow and more sophisticated use of connecting devices are needed to achieve a more advanced level of logical progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for describing the process, featuring task-related terms such as 'diagrammatical representations', 'container', 'overflow', and 'levels'. However, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there are noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'full the container' instead of 'fill', 'cover holes' instead of 'cover the hole', and 'collect a water'. While these slips do not entirely impede communication, they reflect a restricted lexical repertoire that struggles with precision when describing technical diagrams and physical processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures alongside basic imperative forms such as 'on the tap' and 'cover holes with fingers'. Attempts at complex or varied structures are minimal and frequently faulty, including missing subjects, misused articles ('the tap', 'a water'), and awkward prepositional phrases. Frequent grammatical errors are present throughout the text, and these errors can occasionally cause difficulty or confusion for the reader. To improve, the writer needs to incorporate a wider variety of accurate complex sentence patterns and improve control over basic verb forms, articles, and punctuation.

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