Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-22

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 displays the process of building water clock step by step your own through different stages.

To build a water clock firstly, we have to use a tap from which water can come out then we need a plastic bottle to collect that water from the tap. The plastic bottle here will be act as a medium and we also need a stand to support or hold the plastic bottle by tape at the top of stand. After that we have to cut another plastic bottle (neck cut off) from the top and put it below the first plastic bottle on the stand. Then we will make two holes inside the first bottle on the top (neck) and bottom side to ensure that the tap water can leak from that holes.

Following these steps, next we will attach a straw with glue to the first hole at top and then we will start a test to check clock level by cover the hole with finger and then away from hole when tap water will come inside the bottle to overflow. For a constant level we will also check its level per minute from below bottle water.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response identifies the diagram as a sequence for making a water clock and includes several relevant components, such as the tap, bottles, stand, tape and straw. However, the account only partially describes the process and includes important inaccuracies. The diagram shows one hole at the base of the upper bottle, not two holes at the top and bottom; the straw is an overflow drain near the top, rather than a hole through which water is released. The final stages—marking levels per minute, emptying the bottle and repeating the process to time things—are also not clearly reported. Add a concise overview of how water flow and marked levels enable timing, then describe the stages accurately and in sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable progression: it introduces the equipment, describes assembly, and then moves to testing. Sequencing expressions such as “To build,” “After that” and “Following these steps” help the reader follow the account. However, the stages are compressed into two long paragraphs, and the second paragraph combines attaching the straw, filling the bottle, covering the hole and checking the level, making the order difficult to follow. Some references are also unclear, particularly “the first hole” and “its level.” Organise the report into a brief overview followed by clearly separated construction and operation stages, using precise references to the upper and lower bottles.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant task vocabulary, including “plastic bottle,” “stand,” “tape,” “straw” and “overflow,” so the reader can identify much of the equipment. There is some attempt to describe function with phrases such as “to support or hold.” However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, including “building water clock step by step your own,” “act as a medium,” and “check clock level.” The repeated use of “bottle,” “hole” and “water” also limits flexibility, while “leak” does not accurately describe the intended controlled flow. Use more precise process language, such as “assemble,” “secure,” “drain,” and “measure the water level,” and distinguish the overflow straw from the base opening.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentences, and the sequence is usually understandable. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in articles, verb forms and sentence construction sometimes make the meaning harder to follow. For example, “building water clock” needs an article, “will be act” has an incorrect verb form, and “by cover the hole” should use a gerund after “by.” The sentence beginning “Following these steps” also joins several actions without clear grammatical control. Practise accurate passive forms for describing a process, such as “the bottle is attached,” and use shorter sentences to report each stage before combining ideas into more complex structures.

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