Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-07

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 following diagram illustrates the process for making a water clock.

Overall, the procedure comprises seven stages, beginning with turning the water tap on, until we reach the stage of emptying and repeating the process for timing things, with the help of a set of tools, like a stand, plastic bottle, tape, glue, straw and a cut plastic bottle.

Initially, the first stage begins with turning the tap on, then a few drops of water begin to drop into the plastic bottle, then in the second stage, the drops reach the neck cut off bottle, then we have to cover the hole of the bottle with finger, the water then goes through the straw and begins dropping. In the third stage, we have to fill the top bottle to overflow. In the fourth stage we have to level constant. In the fifth stage, we have to put our finger away from the hole. The situation develops in the sixth stage and we see the levels per minute, then in the end we empty the water and repeat the process of timing thing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a water-clock process and give an overview that correctly notes seven stages, from turning on the tap to emptying and repeating the process. You also mention several materials and cover the later stages. However, some important details are unclear or inaccurate: the water does not first drip into the upper bottle and then reach the lower one as your account suggests, and the straw is not described as carrying water after the hole is covered. The apparatus itself—especially the upper bottle fixed to a stand, the overflow straw, and the lower bottle used to mark water levels—needs clearer explanation. The fourth-stage phrase “level constant” is also not explained. Covering the main sequence but leaving key features underdeveloped limits the report’s completeness.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and a chronological account of the stages. Sequencing words such as “Initially,” “In the third stage,” and “in the end” help the reader follow the process. However, the first paragraph of details becomes a long chain of events joined repeatedly by “then,” which makes the sequence harder to track and creates some confusion about which bottle the water enters. The transition from the second to the third stage is especially unclear. Grouping the construction of the apparatus separately from its operation, and using shorter sentences to describe the numbered stages, would make the progression more controlled. Overall organisation is coherent, although cohesion is sometimes mechanical and references are not always clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “water clock,” “plastic bottle,” “stand,” “straw,” “overflow,” and “levels per minute,” so the reader can identify the subject and several components. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or repetitive. “Drops begin to drop” repeats the same idea, while “the neck cut off bottle” is an awkward description of the lower container. “The situation develops” is vague for describing a stage in a process, and “timing thing” is not an appropriate phrase for the final use. More precise process vocabulary—such as “water flows,” “the bottle with its neck removed,” and “measure elapsed time”—would improve clarity and control. The meaning is generally recoverable, but noticeable word-choice and collocation problems remain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the overview construction “beginning with … until …” and a sequence linked with “then.” The main stages are usually expressed in a way that can be understood. However, some sentence structures are awkward or incomplete: “In the fourth stage we have to level constant” lacks a clear grammatical construction, and “then a few drops of water begin to drop into the plastic bottle” is cumbersome. There are also issues with articles and number, as in “cover the hole … with finger,” and the long sentence in the middle is difficult to control. Use complete, direct sentences with consistent present-tense passive forms where appropriate, for example, “The hole is covered with a finger.” Some errors occur, but the overall sequence remains understandable.

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