Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-12

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 6.0)

The figure illustrates the technique ofassembling a water clock.

Overall, the graph depicts a water clock and the individual steps involved in putting it together. The materials used for this operation are water, a plastic bottle, straw, glue, tape, a iron stand, a half cut plastic bottle with its neck cut off.

First off, the phases are detailed and begin with the usage of a plastic bottle that is positioned vertically against a stand and is secured in place with tape. A hole is punched into the bottom of the bottle and water keeps dripping down this opening into another half-cut plastic bottle positioned just beneathe it. Next a straw is attached to the side of the bottle in a horizontal position. The entire apparatus is placed under a water tap.

Secondly, the tap is turned on and the slit is covered with a finger to prevent water from escaping. Then the topmost bottle is filled to overflow. The level of water level is kept steady. After that the finger is removed allowing water to flow out of the bottle and the attached straw. The water pours into the half cut plastic bottle under it to collect the discharged water. The level of water is measured at regular intervals such as once per minute. The lower container is then empitied and the process is repeatec for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The report covers both the apparatus and the operating sequence, and its overview identifies that the diagram shows how the clock is assembled and used. Several key details are accurately included, such as securing the upper bottle to a stand, collecting water in a lower bottle, and emptying it before repeating the timing process. However, some points are unclear or inaccurate: the stand is described as “iron” although the diagram does not specify its material, and the account says water flows out through the attached straw, whereas the straw is an overflow drain and water drips through a hole at the bottle’s base. The calibration marks and their role in recording levels per minute could also be explained more precisely. This covers the task, but some features are less fully and accurately developed than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an overview and materials to construction and then the operating stages. Sequencing expressions such as “First off,” “Next,” “Secondly,” and “After that” help the reader follow the process. However, the division between construction and operation is not always clear: the apparatus description and the sequence of use are blended within long paragraphs, and “Secondly” does not clearly signal a new stage after the preceding construction details. Some references, including “the slit” and “the attached straw,” may also leave the reader uncertain about which opening water passes through. Clearer paragraphing and more precise links between each numbered stage would make the progression more controlled and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a reasonable range of process vocabulary, including “secured in place,” “positioned vertically,” “overflow,” and “measured at regular intervals.” These choices help describe both construction and operation. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward for this diagram: “graph” should be “diagram,” “technique of assembling” is less natural than “process of making,” and “a iron stand” is both an unsuitable description and an incorrect article choice. “Half-cut plastic bottle” and “discharged water” are also less precise than “lower bottle with its neck removed” and “collected water.” Spelling slips such as “beneathe,” “empitied,” and “repeatec” further reduce control. More precise, natural process vocabulary would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and most of the process remains understandable. For example, “A hole is punched into the bottom of the bottle and water keeps dripping down this opening” combines related actions, while participle clauses such as “allowing water to flow out” add some variety. Some grammatical errors remain, however. The article in “a iron stand” should be “an,” and “The level of water level is kept steady” contains an unnecessary repeated noun. The sentence beginning “After that the finger is removed” also gives an unclear account of how water exits, partly because the sentence structure links the straw and the bottle opening imprecisely. Review articles, repetition, and sentence punctuation, while keeping the useful range of structures.

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