Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-21

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

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN WATER CLOCK

Student answer (Band 4.5)

How to build Your own water clock;

This process needs to be done in seqence and steps.

These are the following step as fellows:

We need a water source drops of water will fall into plastic bottle(neck cut off).

We will now use water tape to carry out a few drops of water outside the bottle through straw.

Water's drops are fallling and we mark a some to label it by using pen.There fill top botlle for overflow of water.Then we need to level it constant.There is levels per minute by which we can count what time is now.When time is running we will need to have empty and repeat process for timing things.

Each time when all level will complete we will have to repeat this process again.There is support of stand which is helping the plastic bottle.So in this way we will make our required clock ech time when water is at level the proces empty the water and repeat it again.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the general purpose of the diagram and mentions several relevant elements, including the upper and lower bottles, straw, stand, water levels and repeating the process. However, it only partially describes how the clock is assembled and operated. Important stages are missing or unclear: for example, the tap is not clearly turned on, the hole is not covered while the upper bottle is filled to overflow, and the finger is not then removed to start the flow. The statement that water is carried “outside the bottle through straw” also misrepresents the straw’s overflow function. A clearer overview and a complete, accurate account of the numbered sequence would make the report more fully address the task.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to present the process in sequence, signalled by phrases such as “These are the following step” and “Then we need to”. The response also returns to the idea of emptying and repeating the process. However, the stages are not consistently ordered or separated, and several ideas run together in one long paragraph. For instance, filling the bottle, marking levels and maintaining a constant level are combined without clear links, while the final sentences repeat the same instruction. Use separate paragraphs for the apparatus and the operating stages, then connect each step with precise sequencing language such as “first”, “once” and “finally”. Clearer referencing would also help readers follow the process.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “plastic bottle”, “straw”, “stand”, “levels” and “repeat process”, so the basic subject is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unclear, such as “water tape” and “levels per minute”; the latter should describe the marks or graduations used to measure elapsed time. Repetition of “process”, “water” and “bottle” also makes the description less precise. Spelling errors such as “seqence”, “botlle” and “ech” further reduce control. Build a small set of accurate process terms—such as “overflow tube”, “calibration marks” and “drip”—and use them consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences, but grammatical control is inconsistent and errors frequently make relationships between actions difficult to follow. Examples include “These are the following step”, “Water’s drops are fallling” and “There is levels per minute”, which show problems with number agreement, verb forms and sentence construction. The sentence beginning “There fill top botlle for overflow” is especially difficult to interpret because its subject and verb are unclear. Most sentences rely on basic patterns, and punctuation does not reliably separate ideas. Practise writing one clear sentence for each stage, checking subject–verb agreement and verb forms, and use passive constructions where appropriate, such as “The bottle is filled” or “the water is allowed to drip”.

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