Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-09

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 diagram below illustrates the procedure for making a water clock.

Overall, building of water clock requires different objects and has seven steps, starting from tap on and ending at empty the bottle and repeat process for timing things.

The whole apparatus consist of two plastic bottle,one with neck cutt off and stand, tape which is used to hold upper bottle with stand, straw attached to first bottle with glue.

First of all, upper plastic bottled is filled by opening the tap, during this process hole at the bottom of bottle is closed with finger. Bottle is allowed to fill, untill water overflow through straw and water reached a constant level. Then finger is removed to allow water to drop off in bottom plastic bottle. Mark the levels filled per minute with pencil. At the last stage empty the bottle and repeat process for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and give a relevant overview from turning on the tap to emptying and repeating the process. You also describe the main apparatus, including the two bottles, stand, tape and straw, and explain the overflow and release of water. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: “Mark the levels filled per minute” does not clearly explain that the lower bottle is marked to record the water level at one-minute intervals, and the role of the lower bottle as the receiver could be stated more precisely. The report is also below the required 150 words, which limits the development of the stages. Add clearer detail about the calibration and how the clock is used for timing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally coherent order: an introduction and overview are followed by the equipment and then the operating sequence. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all,” “Then,” and “At the last stage” help the reader follow the process. The progression is understandable, but the equipment description interrupts the overview before the stages begin, and the final explanation of marking levels is compressed into a short sentence. Paragraphing would make the report easier to scan: separate the overview, apparatus, and operating stages. Use clearer links between the water reaching a constant level, removing the finger, and recording the lower bottle’s levels so that the relationships between actions are explicit rather than abrupt.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “overflow,” “attached,” “stand,” and “repeat process,” which helps convey the diagram’s main features. The range is adequate for the topic, but several choices are imprecise or awkward, such as “water clock requires different objects,” “water to drop off,” and “levels filled per minute.” There are also spelling and word-form errors, including “cutt off,” “bottled,” and “untill,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise technical phrasing, for example, describe water as “dripping into” the lower bottle and the marks as “calibration lines.” Check spelling and choose collocations that clearly express each stage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the sequence “during this process hole at the bottom of bottle is closed with finger” and the clause beginning “which is used to hold.” However, errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward or difficult to process. Examples include “The whole apparatus consist” (subject–verb agreement), “two plastic bottle” (plural agreement), and “Bottle is allowed to fill” (missing article and unclear construction). The opening overview also uses the incomplete forms “starting from tap on” and “ending at empty the bottle.” Practise accurate passive constructions for process descriptions, consistent articles and plurals, and parallel verb forms when listing stages. Proofreading sentence boundaries and punctuation would also improve clarity.

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