Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-10

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 6.5)

A water clock can be really helpful for data collection in labs, especially to measure temporally dynamic experiment outcomes, even outside a professional lab. Here is a diagram to make one's own water clock with some basic materials like plastic water bottles, a straw and a running tap.

First we prepare the bottles. First, we make two holes in the bottle - at the bottom and near the neck. Then with the help of some glue, stick a straw in the hole near the neck. This will help us ensure water level stays constant. Next, on the lower half of another bottle, we make equidistant marks to denote time units and cut the neck off.

For using the water clock, we first plug the bottom hole of the first bottle and let it fill up till the straw hole. Once the excess water starts dripping off the straw, we can uplug the bottom hole and let the water drip into the marked second bottle below. this will all come together easily when bound to a stand.

Now, we have our own water clock that helps us timing things. The bottom container can be emptied everytime a new set of timings needs recording.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers the main construction and operating stages, including the overflow straw, the marked lower bottle, and the repeated timing process. These details are generally relevant, but some are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows the upper bottle attached to a stand with tape, while the response says the bottles are “bound to a stand”; it also describes making two holes, although the diagram identifies a hole at the base and an overflow straw near the top rather than instructing the reader to make both holes. The sequence of filling, allowing overflow, and releasing water is conveyed, but the overview could more clearly summarise how the apparatus works and how the lower bottle’s levels are used to measure time. Some stages are therefore less fully and precisely described than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The report is arranged in a clear sequence, moving from preparation to operation and then to the clock’s use. Paragraphing supports this progression, and signposts such as “Next,” “For using the water clock,” and “Now” help the reader follow the process. This gives the response a coherent overall structure. However, the repeated “First” at the start and the shift from construction to operation could be linked more smoothly. Some references are also imprecise: “the first bottle” and “the marked second bottle” require the reader to infer which container is upper or lower. More consistent labels, such as “upper bottle” and “lower container,” would make the sequence easier to track and show more flexible cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the process, including “equidistant marks,” “excess water,” “denote time units,” and “recording.” These choices show some ambition beyond basic wording, and the meaning is generally clear. At times, however, word choice or collocation is not natural for a process report: “measure temporally dynamic experiment outcomes” is unnecessarily technical and awkward, while “helps us ensure water level stays constant” is less precise than describing the overflow function. There are also spelling or word-form slips, including “uplug” and “everytime.” Aim for concise, conventional process vocabulary and check spelling; this would make the description more precise and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, including purpose clauses (“This will help us ensure…”) and time clauses (“Once the excess water starts dripping…”). Most sentences communicate the intended steps, and errors rarely prevent understanding. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, however. In “ensure water level stays constant,” the article is missing; “helps us timing things” uses an incorrect verb pattern; and “this will all come together” begins a sentence with a lowercase letter. The sentence beginning “First, we make two holes…” is also somewhat awkwardly structured. Review articles, verb patterns such as “help someone do something,” and sentence punctuation, while retaining the clear sequencing and varied sentence forms already present.

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