Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-14

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)

The given diagram illustrates how a water clock works to know time and how to buid it on your own.

Overall, it can be seen that the water clock process is devided in seven stages, starting with filling a plastic bottle and ending with time showing half neck cut bottle. To see the further time, the process should be repeat.

To begin with the first stage, a plastic bottle which is taped on the top of the stand and it has a straw attached with glue just under its neck. This bottle is filled with water till water overflow frome a straw, before filling a bottle, the hole at the bottom of the bottle should be covered with a finger. In the next stage, as the water level stay constant remove the finger from the hole so the water will drop out from the bottle and it will be stored in the another bottle placed below that bottle.

The neck cutt bottle is marked with some measures which would count the level per minute so that it would show the time. To see further time with the help of water clock, this half bottle should be empty and repeat the process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The report covers the main purpose and sequence, and its overview identifies seven stages and the need to repeat the process for further timing. It also describes the upper bottle, straw, lower bottle and marked levels, so the key apparatus is recognisable. This meets the task well, with some features more fully explained than others. However, the overview says the process starts with filling the bottle, whereas the listed stages begin by turning on the tap and covering the hole; the order is clarified later but the overview is imprecise. The phrase “ending with time showing half neck cut bottle” is also unclear. To strengthen the account, describe the calibration marks as indicating the water level per minute and state the sequence accurately in the overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the construction and operating stages, then the repeat procedure. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “In the next stage,” and “To see further time” help the reader follow the process. However, some links are mechanical, and the long middle paragraph combines several actions, making the order harder to track. References such as “this bottle,” “that bottle,” and “the another bottle” are not always precise, while “as the water level stay constant remove the finger” compresses the transition between stages. Use separate sentences or paragraphs for assembling the apparatus, starting the flow, and reading the clock, with clearer references to the upper and lower bottles.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “overflow,” “attached,” “stored,” “measures,” and “level per minute,” which helps convey how the device operates. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are awkward enough to reduce precision. “Time showing half neck cut bottle” does not clearly describe the lower container, and “count the level per minute” is not a natural way to explain the markings. There are also spelling errors, including “buid,” “devided,” “frome,” and “cutt.” Aim for precise terms such as “graduation marks,” “water level,” and “lower bottle with its neck removed,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There are attempts to use both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “a plastic bottle which is taped on the top of the stand” and a time clause beginning “before filling a bottle.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence structures are faulty. For example, “a plastic bottle which is taped on the top of the stand and it has a straw” joins clauses incorrectly, while “as the water level stay constant remove the finger” lacks correct verb agreement and punctuation. Other issues include “the process should be repeat” and “this half bottle should be empty and repeat the process,” where the verb forms are incorrect or the subject is unclear. Practise accurate passive forms and instructions, and divide long sentences into complete clauses.

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