Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The diagram outlines a step by step process of how to construct your own water clock.

At first glance, it is evident that the given chart this is an artificial process in which all the steps are crucial and if any of that is missed the process will come to a hault.

Firstly, on the tap for water supply. Secondly, need a plastic bottle with a tiny hole on bottom surface which is securely attached with stand with the support of tape. Thirdly, the strew is placed at bottle at the top and overfilled with water. Then, water comes from holes which shows level per minute. Moreover, when plastic bottle filled then do it empty and repeat process for timing things. this is a last step of making a water clock.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the topic and mention several relevant elements, including the tap, the upper bottle, the stand, water flow and repeating the process. However, the report only minimally describes the diagram: it omits important stages such as covering the hole while filling the bottle to the overflow level, allowing the water level to remain constant, and removing the finger to begin timing. The description of the straw is unclear, and the lower bottle’s role in collecting water and being marked with calibration lines is not explained. The overview is also inaccurate when it says every step is crucial and missing one would halt the process. The response is 19 words below the required minimum, which further limits the detail provided. Include a clear overview and describe the stages in order.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, signalled by “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Thirdly,” and it ends by referring to repeating the process. This gives the reader some sense of order. However, the progression becomes unclear after “Thirdly”: “the strew is placed at bottle at the top and overfilled with water” combines the straw and filling stages, while “Then, water comes from holes” does not clearly connect the apparatus to the timing process. The final sentence repeats the previous idea rather than adding a distinct concluding point. There is also no paragraphing beyond the opening and main description. Organise the report into a brief overview and a step-by-step account, using linking phrases to show how each stage leads to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “water clock,” “plastic bottle,” “stand,” “tape,” and “level per minute,” so the reader can identify the general subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make details difficult to understand. “Strew” appears to mean “straw,” and “on the tap for water supply” does not clearly describe turning on the tap. “Hault” is a spelling error, while “comes from holes” is imprecise because the diagram shows water dripping through a hole at the base of the upper bottle. Use accurate process vocabulary and collocations, such as “attach the bottle to the stand,” “overflow,” “drip,” and “mark the water level,” to describe the equipment and actions more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both short statements and longer sentences, for example, “At first glance, it is evident that…” and “Moreover, when plastic bottle filled then do it empty…”. However, the range is limited, and frequent errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. “Firstly, on the tap for water supply” is a fragment, while “need a plastic bottle” lacks a clear subject. In “when plastic bottle filled,” the article and auxiliary verb are missing; “then do it empty” also has an unclear subject and verb pattern. The opening sentence contains the faulty construction “the given chart this is.” Practise writing complete sentences with a subject and verb, and use consistent present-simple forms to describe each stage, such as “The bottle is attached…” and “Water drips…”.

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