Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The process diagram provides the steps for making a water clock.

Overall, it is clear that first step in tape on and the last is empty and repeat process for timiing things. In addition, between of this stepes cover hole with finger, fill top bottle to overflow, and level constant should follow.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The opening identifies the diagram’s subject, and you mention several stages, including covering the hole, filling the upper bottle and maintaining a constant level. However, the report is far too brief to describe the process adequately, and it misidentifies the first stage: the diagram says to turn on the tap, not to tape something on. It also omits key steps, such as moving the finger away, marking levels per minute, and using the clock to time things. The overview is incomplete and the apparatus is not described. The response is 98 words below the required minimum. To improve, give a clear overview and explain the equipment and all stages in their correct order.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic overall shape: an introductory sentence followed by a sentence intended to summarise the process. The sequence is partly signalled by “first,” “last,” and “between,” so the reader can see that you are trying to organise the stages. However, the second sentence combines several steps in a confusing way, and the report does not develop into a clear, ordered account. There are no separate paragraphs for an overview and the process details, and the linking expressions are not used accurately. Organise the report into an introduction, a concise overview, and a chronological description, using clear links such as “Next,” “Once the water reaches the straw,” and “Finally.”

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant basic vocabulary, including “process diagram,” “water clock,” “bottle,” “hole,” and “overflow,” which makes the general topic recognisable. However, the range is very limited for describing a process, and some wording is inaccurate or unclear. “Tape on” does not convey the first instruction, which is to turn on the tap; “between of this stepes” is not a natural phrase; and “timiing” contains a spelling error. The phrase “level constant” also needs clearer wording, such as maintaining a constant water level. Build a small set of accurate process terms—“attach,” “fill,” “drain,” “mark,” and “repeat”—and use them to describe the equipment and stages precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes a simple opening sentence and an attempt at a more complex summary using “Overall” and “In addition.” However, grammatical control is uneven, and the second sentence contains several structural problems: “it is clear that first step in tape on” lacks a complete, correctly formed clause, while “between of this stepes … should follow” does not express the relationship between the stages grammatically. Articles and sentence structure also need attention; for example, write “the first step is to turn on the tap” and “the final step is to empty the bottle and repeat the process.” Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check that each stage is expressed in a consistent grammatical form.

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