Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-05

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 provided diagram below shows the process of making water clock by own, we have to prepare the report for university lecture

overall, it can be seen that this diagram shows all the steps of how to build a water clock.

moreover, in this diagram it can be seen that ther is a one tap, one bottle and plastic bottle[neck cut off].firstly it is shown that the tap is on and the plastic bottle is attached to a stand with tape there is also a straw which is glued with plastic bottle at the neck of the bottle, water is poring from the tap into the bottle, water is dripping from the bottom of the plastic bottle into the another plastic bottle[neck cut off] there are also stages written the first stage is tap on ,second is cover hole with finger , third is fill top bottle to overflow, fourth is level constant, fifth is finger away from hole and the last one is levels per miniute

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially because it presents a limited and mechanical description of the process. While the student identifies some elements of the diagram such as the tap, the bottles, the stand, and the straw, the information is presented as a list of stages rather than a well-structured academic report. For instance, writing "the first stage is tap on, second is cover hole with finger" merely copies the provided labels instead of transforming the visual data into clear, cohesive prose. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to select and integrate key features into a fully developed overview and describe the sequence of steps with greater clarity and formal academic tone.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The text displays some organisation, but there is no clear overall progression. The response is essentially written as a single long, run-on sentence with minimal punctuation, which makes the flow difficult to follow. Although transitional phrases such as "overall" and "firstly" are attempted, cohesive devices are generally inadequate and repetitive, such as the frequent restarting of phrases with "it can be seen that" and "there is". Paragraphing is also poorly handled, as the entire text is lumped together without logical division. To improve, the writer should use full stops to separate independent clauses and employ a wider, more accurate range of cohesive devices to guide the reader smoothly through the stages of the diagram.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic topic. The writer attempts some less common terms and process-related words like "stand", "straw", and "dripping", but there are noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word form, such as "poring" instead of pouring and "miniute" instead of minute. Furthermore, phrases like "making water clock by own" and "ther is a one tap" demonstrate a narrow lexical range and awkward collocation. To achieve a higher score, the student should expand their vocabulary for describing processes and ensure correct spelling and word formation throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical range is quite limited, consisting mostly of simple clauses joined incorrectly by commas rather than proper conjunctions or full stops. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly missing articles ("ther is a one tap", "to university lecture"), incorrect prepositions, and a lack of sentence boundaries. For example, writing "water is poring from the tap into the bottle, water is dripping from the bottom" results in run-on structures. Control over basic grammatical structures is weak, which causes some difficulty for the reader. Incorporating complex sentence structures accurately and mastering basic punctuation and article usage are essential steps for improvement.

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