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 illustrates several steps about how to build water clock.

Overall, the process contains seven stages, beginning with open a valve for water and cover with a finger, ending steps involved counting of time during drops.There are few equipments including plastic bottle, straw and stand required during the formation.

In the intial stages, tap of the water is opened and plastic bottle is start to fill. After then, hole in the plastic bottle has been covered with Finger. Bottle is steadily start to fill untill the overflow from the straw, who is joined with glue. In the middle stage, few drops of water has been dropped from straw so the level of a bottle Plateau.

In the final stages, Finger has been removed,which is placed earlier in the bottom of a bottle, before the baker is start to fill. After some time, Scaling on the baker helps to count the levels per minute. In the last stage, filled baker is empty again and repeat this process to note different timing. During these all stages, stand is holding all the equipment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence and provide an overview that identifies seven stages, from starting the water flow to repeating the process for timing. You also mention key equipment, including the bottles, straw and stand. However, some details are misreported or unclear: the water overflows through the straw, but the drops then fall through a hole at the base of the upper bottle, not from the straw. The lower bottle is marked with calibration lines; it is not a “baker,” and the finger is removed from the hole rather than placed in the lower bottle. These inaccuracies weaken the description of some stages. To improve, distinguish the overflow mechanism from the dripping and explain more precisely how the lower bottle’s levels are used to measure time.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by descriptions of the initial, middle and final stages. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the process. Sequencing phrases such as “In the initial stages,” “In the middle stage” and “In the final stages” are helpful, although the transitions sometimes feel mechanical and the sequence is not always easy to follow because several actions are compressed into long sentences. For example, the sentence beginning “In the initial stages” combines opening the tap, covering the hole and filling the bottle. Use clearer sentence boundaries and refer to each stage in order; also make references such as “which is placed earlier” explicit so the reader can identify what they refer to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “overflow,” “straw,” “stand” and “levels per minute,” and you attempt more specific terms such as “calibration” and “plateau.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate, sometimes making the process difficult to understand. “Baker” is used for the lower bottle, “scaling” for its marked lines, and “formation” for construction; “the level of a bottle Plateau” is also unnatural. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “intial,” “untill” and “equipments.” Aim for precise, familiar technical wording rather than uncertain substitutions, and check spelling and countability. For instance, describe the lower container as a bottle with calibration marks and say that its water level is measured.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, and the use of sequencing clauses shows some range. However, errors in verb forms, articles, agreement and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect clarity. Examples include “beginning with open a valve,” “plastic bottle is start to fill,” and “few drops of water has been dropped.” The sentence “In the final stages, Finger has been removed, which is placed earlier…” also has an unclear relative clause and faulty passive construction. Work on consistent passive forms for describing a process, such as “the tap is opened” and “the finger is removed,” and check subject–verb agreement and articles. Punctuation spacing and sentence boundaries also need attention, particularly around commas and full stops.

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