Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

This diagram illustrates how to make a time measuring device with water.

Overall, the whole process is consist of 7 steps starting by filling a plastic bottle with at a certain level with water and and water drips through a hole into a container on which levels are marked for per minute.

The first steps starts with opening the tap but the hole at the bottom of the bottle should be covered and fill the bottle until it starts to over flow, there is overflow straw attached to the upper bottle to keep the water in the upper bottle at a measured level.

The fifth step is to remove the finger form the hole that was covered with finger and place a place another bottle exactly under with neck cut off, let the water drip in that bottle, for every minuet check the level and mark, and this how you build a clock using water seventh step is to empty the bottle and repeat the process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a water-based timing device and include several relevant stages: opening the tap, covering the hole, allowing overflow, releasing the water, marking levels and repeating the process. However, the account only partially covers the process and some details are unclear or inaccurate. The overview says the process starts by filling the bottle, whereas the listed sequence begins by turning on the tap and covering the hole before filling it. The role of the lower bottle and the calibration marks is mentioned, but the constant water level maintained by the overflow and the one-level-per-minute measurement are not explained clearly. Present the stages in order and describe how the marked levels are used to time events.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure, with an introduction, an overview and paragraphs describing stages, so the reader can recognise the general topic and sequence. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview gives a different starting point from the later account, and the final paragraph combines releasing the finger, positioning the lower bottle, marking levels and repeating the process in one long sentence. Linking expressions such as “The first steps” and “The fifth step” help signal sequence, but the numbering is incomplete and some references, including “that bottle,” are not always easy to follow. Use one stage per sentence or group closely related stages, and connect them with clear sequence markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the main idea, including “plastic bottle,” “hole,” “overflow,” “levels” and “container.” There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “time measuring device” and “measured level.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the description harder to understand. For example, “levels are marked for per minute” does not clearly express the purpose of the markings, and “a place another bottle” appears to be an unintended word choice. Spelling errors such as “minuet” also reduce precision. Build a more accurate set of process verbs and measurement phrases, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the opening sentence communicates the diagram’s subject clearly. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in longer structures, and frequent errors sometimes make relationships between actions difficult to follow. Examples include “the whole process is consist of 7 steps,” “The first steps starts,” and the run-on construction beginning “let the water drip in that bottle.” There are also problems with articles and sentence boundaries, as in “place a place another bottle,” and the final clause lacks a clear grammatical structure. Use shorter sentences to describe each stage, check subject–verb agreement and verb forms, and punctuate instructions as complete report sentences.

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