Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-17

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 5.0)

How can we make our own water clock. Firstly we need to bring water tap that will use to pour the water. Now the main and useful instrument that is the stand bring up and been placed anywhere we need to setup. Then we need a plastic botle that contain a small hole at down-side of the bottom. In which we fill the water. Then we use a tape to stich the bottle to the stand. After that we will use a plastic straw and pour it into bottle using glue. The straw will likely use to bring the drops of water outside of the bottle. we also need one more plastic bottle thar contain neck cut off .We will place it ti the bottom of stand where the drops of upper bottle been drowing . now the main thing to how we can use it as a water clock. we nee to on the water tap by covering with fingers. Bottle will begin to overflow. The level will be constant. Then we put our fingers away from the bottle. And begins to check the level per minute untill it became empty. Then we will likely to repeat that process again for timming things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response covers the basic construction and use of the clock, including the stand, two bottles, straw, water flow and repeated timing process. However, some important stages are incomplete or misrepresented: the tap should be turned on before the hole is covered, and the upper bottle is filled until water overflows before the water level is kept constant. The description “Bottle will begin to overflow” does not clearly explain this sequence, while “check the level per minute” does not explain that the lower bottle is marked to record the levels. There is also no clear overview of how the apparatus works as a whole. To improve, describe the numbered stages accurately and summarise the clock’s principle before giving details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable order, moving from the equipment and assembly to the operating steps, and sequencing phrases such as “Firstly,” “After that” and “Then” help the reader follow the process. However, the report is presented as one continuous paragraph, and the transition from construction to use is abrupt (“now the main thing to how we can use it”). Some links are also unclear: “In which we fill the water” has no clear reference, and the sequence around covering the hole, filling the bottle and allowing overflow is difficult to follow. Organise the report into a brief overview and separate construction and operation sections, using precise references and fewer repetitive transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “stand,” “plastic bottle,” “straw,” “glue,” “drops” and “level,” so the reader can identify the main equipment and actions. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning unclear. For example, “bring water tap” and “pour it into bottle” do not describe the tap and straw accurately, while “stich the bottle” and “drowing” appear to be spelling or word-choice errors. “Timming things” is also an imprecise way to describe the clock’s purpose. Use specific process terms such as “attach,” “overflow,” “drip” and “measure elapsed time,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect actions in longer sentences, for example, “Then we use a tape to stich the bottle to the stand,” but most structures are simple and several attempts at more complex sentences are faulty. Errors in verb forms, articles and sentence construction occur throughout: “the stand bring up and been placed,” “a plastic botle that contain,” and “where the drops of upper bottle been drowing.” Sentence boundaries and capitalisation are also inconsistent, as in “we also need” and “now the main thing.” These errors sometimes make the sequence difficult to understand. Practise clear passive forms for instructions and accurate present-tense clauses, such as “The bottle is attached to the stand” and “Water drips into the lower bottle.”

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