Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN WATER CLOCK:

Firstly, the apparatus needed is a collection of these items: a water bottle with a small hole perforated at the base, a water collection plastic bottle graduated using a pencil at regular intervals and with the neck cut off for easy collection of water drops from above, a stable stand, tape to secure the water bottle, an overflow straw and glue to attach the straw.

Secondly, the set-up is assembled such that water is filled in the top water bottle while a finger is placed on the hole to hold in the water. This allows the water to fill all the way to the overflow straw above and ensures the starting water level will be the same everytime. The finger is then removed and the water level per minute is noted. The water clock is now ready since the level of water collected each time can be used to tell how much time has lapsed. This process is now used to time things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response identifies the main equipment and explains the central operation: water is held in the upper bottle, filled to the overflow point, then released while the lower bottle collects it. This gives the reader a relevant account of the process. However, several important diagram details are omitted or unclear, including that the upper bottle is fixed to a stand, the straw is attached near its top, and the lower bottle sits on the stand’s base. The stages are also compressed: the constant starting level, marking levels per minute, and emptying and repeating are not fully distinguished. The report therefore covers the task only partially, with some key features underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information follows a sensible order, moving from the materials to assembly and then to operation. The opening signals, “Firstly” and “Secondly,” make this progression easy to follow, and the explanation of filling before releasing the water is logically connected. The final sentences also provide a clear endpoint by explaining how collected water indicates elapsed time. However, the response is presented as two large blocks rather than clearly separated stages, and the sequence of construction details could be more explicit. For example, the stand, straw, and bottles could be described in the order they are assembled, followed by numbered operating steps. This would make the progression more flexible and less dependent on basic sequencing markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “perforated,” “graduated,” “overflow,” “secure,” and “assembled.” These choices help describe the apparatus and its function, and the meaning remains clear throughout. Some phrasing is less precise or natural for a diagram report: “water collection plastic bottle” is an awkward compound, while “water level per minute is noted” does not clearly convey that marks are made on the lower bottle at regular intervals. “How much time has lapsed” is also less suitable than a direct reference to elapsed time. Greater precision in naming components and describing their functions would strengthen the report’s flexibility and control of collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response uses a good variety of sentence forms, including a relative clause (“which … has the neck cut off”), a purpose clause (“to hold in the water”), and a result clause (“This allows the water to fill…”). Most sentences are controlled and easy to understand, and the sequence of actions is expressed clearly. A few grammatical or punctuation issues remain. The long first sentence is overloaded with several descriptions, making its structure difficult to track; dividing it would improve control. In “the water level per minute is noted,” the passive construction is grammatical but the intended action is not clearly expressed. Also, “everytime” should be written as two words, though this is primarily a spelling issue rather than a grammar problem.

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