Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-11

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 illustrates the process of making a clock using water. The process is made up of seven different stage.

Before the different stage the construction happens it begin with a plastic bottle is taped to a stand and placed directly under the tap, then a hole is created at the bottom of the bottle, while just beneath the plastic bottle is another bottle with the neck cut off to create a cup.

At the first stage, the tap is turn on with the plastic bottle place directly under the tap. A hole is created at the bottom and the side of the bottle, with a straw attached to the hole by the side. The hole at the bottom is covered with a finger allowing the bottle fill and overflow. In most cases reach a constant level.

The finger place on the hole is taken away, allowing the water drip slowly from both the hole at the bottom and the straw by the side. The hole at the bottom drips into the cup at a constant level per minute. The water clock built and the process is repeated for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the diagram as a water-clock process and include several relevant stages, such as turning on the tap, covering the hole, allowing water to collect, and repeating the process for timing. However, the account only partially represents the instructions and construction. The overview is limited, and some details are inaccurate: the straw is an overflow drain fixed near the top, not a second outlet for water to drip from, and the lower bottle is used to mark levels per minute. The sequence is also unclear because construction details are mixed with operating stages, and the constant level is described imprecisely. To strengthen the report, give a concise overview of the apparatus and explain the seven stages in their correct order, distinguishing the overflow straw from the hole at the base.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure and generally moves from construction to operation, so the reader can recognise the broad process. Sequencing phrases such as “At the first stage” and “The finger … is taken away” help signal progression. However, the overall progression is not consistently clear: the second paragraph introduces construction before the numbered stages, and the next paragraph returns to details already mentioned. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “Before the different stage the construction happens” and “In most cases reach a constant level.” Organise the report into a brief overview, construction, and operation in sequence, and use explicit stage links such as “Next” and “Finally” to make the order easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough process-related vocabulary to communicate the general subject, including “plastic bottle,” “stand,” “straw,” “overflow,” and “constant level.” There is some useful variation in phrases such as “covered with a finger” and “repeated for timing things.” However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or repetitive. “Cup” is less accurate than “lower bottle” or “container,” while “the straw … drips” misrepresents its function as an overflow drain. Repeated use of “hole” also makes the description less precise. Aim for accurate process vocabulary and vary references to the components; for example, distinguish the “base outlet” from the “overflow straw” and describe the lower bottle’s “calibration marks.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentences, including clauses linked with “while” and “allowing,” but errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between actions difficult to follow. Examples include “seven different stage,” “the construction happens it begin,” and “the tap is turn on,” which show problems with plurals, verb forms, and sentence construction. In “allowing the bottle fill and overflow,” the verb pattern is incomplete, and “In most cases reach a constant level” lacks a clear subject. These issues recur rather than appearing as isolated slips. Practise forming complete clauses with an explicit subject and correctly inflected verbs, then check agreement and articles. For example: “The tap is turned on, and the upper bottle fills until the water reaches the straw.”

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