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 diagram illustrates the steps of constructing a water clock. Overall, the process includes 7 stages based on the use of tap water.

To begin with, the tap water is collected in a plastic bottle attached to the stand with a tape. Thereafter, the hole of the bottle is covered with finger and allowing the top bottle to fill and overflow through the straw, a glue is then fixed in order to maintain a constant level of water. After this, the finger away from hole permits drops to fall into the second plastic bottle positioned below the hole, every minute is referred by a full level of water. Timing things requires emptying the bottles and repeating process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the diagram as a seven-stage process and mention several relevant components, including the tap, bottles, stand and straw. However, the account only partially covers how the clock is assembled and used: for example, it does not clearly explain that the lower bottle has its neck cut off or that a pen marks calibration lines on it. Some details are also misrepresented. The glue fixes the straw to the upper bottle; it does not maintain the water level, and the constant level is achieved by filling the upper bottle until water overflows. The final timing step is mentioned but not clearly explained. The response is also 33 words below the required minimum, leaving important stages underdeveloped. Include a fuller, accurate account of the apparatus and sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall direction: it introduces the process, gives a brief overview and then moves through the stages using markers such as “To begin with,” “Thereafter” and “After this.” This makes the sequence broadly understandable. However, the report is presented as one paragraph, and the links between some actions are difficult to follow, particularly in the long sentence beginning “Thereafter,” where covering the hole, filling the bottle and attaching the straw are compressed together. The final sentence also shifts quickly from water levels to repeating the process. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main stages, and connect each action in the order shown so that the progression is clearer and less dependent on a few transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “constructing,” “attached,” “overflow” and “positioned below,” which helps communicate the general subject. The range is nevertheless limited, and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear. “Tap water is collected” does not precisely describe turning on the tap to fill the upper bottle, while “a glue is then fixed” confuses the material with the action of attaching the straw. “Every minute is referred by a full level of water” is also difficult to interpret. Choose precise verbs for the diagram’s actions, such as attach, mark, drip and indicate, and describe what each component does. More accurate vocabulary would make the process easier to understand without requiring a much wider range of technical terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a sequence of clauses linked with “Thereafter” and a final sentence using “requires.” The main stages can generally be understood, but some grammatical errors make relationships between actions unclear. For example, “covered with finger and allowing the top bottle to fill” lacks an article and does not form a parallel structure; “the finger away from hole permits drops” also needs a clearer subject construction and articles. The long second sentence combines several actions without a well-controlled clause structure. Aim for complete, direct sentences, such as stating that the hole is covered while the upper bottle fills, then explaining when the finger is removed. This would improve accuracy while retaining some complex structures.

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