Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-18

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 below shows the process for making a water clock . It shows that it is a 7 stage process to create your own water clock. Starting from opening the tap filling the bottlle having a hole underneath and a finger initially beneath to cover that hole. At the end counting the drops as levels per minute and repeating the same process for several timing things.

The process starts with the opening of tap to fill up a plastic bottle with a hole at bottom . The bottle is balanced in a straight position on a stand with the help of a tape .Initially the hole is covered with finger till it fills up to a certain level to control the overflow a straw is placed there . And the level of water is maintained.Till here it covers 4 steps

In the last 3 steps the finger is removed from the hole and the drops of the water starts coming from that hole . These drops are collected in a plastic bottle below . These drops are counted as levels per minute . You can repeat this proces for every time taking things by just making that plastic bottle empty and start counting the drops again .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence and give a useful overview that the clock has seven stages, from turning on the tap to repeating the process for timing. The account also correctly mentions the upper bottle, the stand, the straw and the lower collecting bottle. However, some stages are unclear or not fully described: “the level of water is maintained” does not explain that the upper bottle is filled until water overflows, and “drops are counted as levels per minute” does not clearly explain that the lower bottle’s rising water level is marked to show elapsed time. Clarify the function of the straw and the calibration marks, and describe the stages in a more precise, complete way.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable order, and the three paragraphs move from an introduction to the setup and then the final stages. Sequencing phrases such as “The process starts” and “In the last 3 steps” help the reader follow the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or unclear: “Till here it covers 4 steps” interrupts the description, while “At the end” and “In the last 3 steps” repeat similar signposting. The opening sentence also runs several stages together, making their order harder to follow. Use one clear paragraph for the overview and organise the remaining stages in sequence, with references such as “Once the bottle is full” and “The water then drips into the lower container.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “plastic bottle,” “stand,” “straw,” “overflow” and “drops,” so the reader can identify the main equipment and actions. There is some useful variation in expressions such as “fill up,” “maintained” and “collected.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward for a formal process report: “balanced in a straight position” is not a natural description of how the bottle is attached, and “every time taking things” is unclear. “Counting the drops as levels per minute” also confuses drops with the water level used for timing. Spelling slips such as “bottlle” and “proces” further reduce accuracy. Choose precise terms for attachment, water levels and repeated timing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including a passive construction in “These drops are collected” and a time clause in “till it fills up.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some sentence structures are incomplete or awkward. “Starting from opening the tap…” is a fragment, and “At the end counting the drops…” lacks a finite verb. There are also errors in articles and sentence boundaries, for example “opening of tap” and the full stops before “Initially” and “And the level.” The long opening sentence joins several ideas without clear grammatical control. Build complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check articles, punctuation and clause connections.

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