Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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

Student answer (Band 5.0)

To built your own water clock you need a tap,a plastic bottle,a tape,a straw,a glue,a plastic bottle with its neck cut off and a stand. Firstly place the stand vertically on a plane area,then put the plastic bottle (neck cut off) on the stand then above this bottle at some distance attach the other full bottle with the help of tape on the upper part of stand.Now,make a hole in the part of bottle that is on the opposite side of the stand and using glue attach a straw in it in such a way that it there is no leakage from the attached part. After this make another hole in the middle of the bottle`s bottom in such a way that when the upper bottle is filled with liquid it falls in the bottle laid under it.Now mark the readings on the cutted bottle. Place the whole apparatus under a tap.Now the apparatus is ready to perform task. Open the tap gently and place your finger on the hole that is in the bottom part of first bottle.You will see that the water begins to fill in the upper bottle. The bottle begain to fill when it reached to the point where straw is attached and the water begin to overflow from straw hole remove the finger.The water begin to leak from the hole,drop after drop and start filling the second bottle.From the marking of the bottle you can measure levels per minute.Now empty the bottles and repeat the process for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response covers the basic purpose and sequence: assembling the bottles and stand, allowing water to overflow, observing the lower bottle’s markings, and repeating the process. However, it only partially reports the diagram because it turns the task into detailed instructions and adds unsupported construction details, such as placing the stand on a “plane area” and making a hole on the side opposite the stand. It also misstates the stages: the diagram says to cover the hole, fill the upper bottle to overflow, then remove the finger; it does not say to open the tap gently or that the upper bottle fills while the finger is already on the hole. Focus on accurately describing the labelled stages and apparatus, with a concise overview of how the clock works.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The account follows a broadly understandable order, moving from materials and assembly to operation and repetition. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “After this,” and “Now” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is presented as one long paragraph, and several steps are crowded into lengthy sentences, making the progression less clear. For example, the sentence beginning “The bottle begain to fill” combines filling, overflow, removing the finger, and water dripping without clear sentence boundaries. Some transitions are also repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “Now” and “After this.” Divide the report into paragraphs for construction and operation, and use clearer links between each numbered stage.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses enough process-related vocabulary to communicate the general procedure, including “attach,” “overflow,” “mark the readings,” and “repeat the process.” However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear. “Plane area” is not a natural description of the surface, “full bottle” does not clearly mean the upper bottle, and “measure levels per minute” does not accurately express the diagram’s “levels per minute.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “cutted,” “begain,” and “leak” where water is described as dripping. Use precise terms such as “upper container,” “calibration marks,” and “water drips,” and check spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences and uses sequencing clauses, but the range is limited and complex sentences are often faulty. Errors include the infinitive form in “To built,” missing or incorrect articles in phrases such as “on a plane area,” and agreement and tense problems in “the water begin to overflow” and “The bottle begain to fill.” Several sentences run together, especially the description of the overflow and the removal of the finger, while commas are often missing after introductory phrases. These issues sometimes make the sequence difficult to interpret. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences for each stage, then combine ideas with accurate clauses; check verb forms, articles, agreement, and sentence punctuation.

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