Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The flow chart illustrates how to make my own water clock in several steps.

Overall,the process requires seven different steps to build a water clock, fromtap on to empty and repeat process for timing things. To complete the process two plastic bottles, a straw, a stand and a tap are needed.

Initially, in the first stage, a tap is needed which will provide water for the process.After supplying water on the plastic bottle, a tap is needed to tide up the bottle so that it can not drop from the stand. Then, i should cover the hole with finger and fill the upper bottle so that it can overflow and the level of straw and the bottle water in constant.

Furthermore, the finger should away from the hole to fall the water in the second bottle and the second bottles neck should cut off to do the process easily.Then, i have to note the changes and the flowing water fall levels per minute. Finally, the bottle water should empty and to verify the result, repeating the process for timing things

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a process and give an overview of its seven stages, from turning on the tap to repeating the timing process. You also mention the main materials and several key actions, including covering the hole, filling the upper bottle and allowing water to flow into the lower one. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the tap does not “tide up” the bottle; tape attaches the upper bottle to the stand. The constant water level is also not clearly explained as being maintained by the straw overflow, and the calibration marks on the lower bottle could be described more precisely. Covering these features accurately and explaining how the apparatus works would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall sequence, supported by “Overall,” “Initially,” “Furthermore” and “Finally,” and the reader can follow the broad movement from setting up the clock to using it. The overview also separates the general process from the later stages. However, some links are mechanical, and the long middle section combines several actions without clear boundaries. For example, the sentence beginning “Then, i should cover the hole” moves from filling the bottle to the constant level without clearly distinguishing the stages. Use one sentence or clause for each major stage, and make references such as “the bottle” and “the second bottle” more explicit. This would strengthen progression and reduce ambiguity.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “flow chart,” “upper bottle,” “hole,” “overflow” and “levels per minute,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several word choices or combinations are inaccurate enough to make parts difficult to interpret. “Tide up the bottle” does not describe attaching it to the stand, while “the finger should away” and “the bottle water should empty” are not natural expressions. Repetition of “bottle” and “process” also limits precision. Choose specific verbs for the actions shown, such as attach, mark, drain and refill, and use consistent terms for the upper and lower containers. This would make the description clearer and more appropriate for a process report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including purpose clauses such as “so that it can overflow” and sequencing clauses introduced by “After” and “Finally.” However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms occur in several places and sometimes make the meaning hard to follow. Examples include “the finger should away from the hole,” “the second bottles neck should cut off,” and “the bottle water should empty.” These need a verb or passive construction, for example, “the finger should be removed,” and “the neck of the second bottle should be cut off.” There are also punctuation and capitalisation slips, such as “Overall,the” and lowercase “i.” Build shorter, complete sentences and check verb forms, articles and sentence boundaries.

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