Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-24

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 the process for developing own water clock.

Overall, it is clear that the whole process requier to pass through the seven stages. In contrast, stand play important role to stabelized the bottles. The collected water provide accurate time according to the levels.

The noticeable feature is the whole process start from the tap water drop collecting in plastic bottle that taped with the stand. That bottle have hole in bottom, which we need to cover with fingure untill overflow the bottle. While, in the top attached straw for pass out remain water.

Moreover, the top bottle overflow then remove the fingure and water pass to another plastic bottle which is in the bottom and neck cuted with levels per minute marking. However, when bottle fill then repeat whole process for timing. By completing all stages in the proper way we build over own water clock.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main purpose and sequence of the diagram, including the tap, the upper bottle, the overflow straw, the lower bottle, and the repeated timing process. The overview also identifies the seven stages and the stand’s role. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the hole is covered before the upper bottle is filled to overflow, but your wording makes the order difficult to follow, and “when bottle fill then repeat” does not clearly explain that the lower bottle is emptied before repeating. The calibration marks are mentioned, but their function in measuring levels per minute could be explained more precisely. The response is also two words below the required minimum. Develop the stages in their exact order and clarify how the marked levels are used.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the apparatus and its operation. The reader can generally follow the movement from the tap and upper bottle to the lower container. However, progression is sometimes weakened by unclear links between steps. For example, “That bottle have hole in bottom, which we need to cover with fingure untill overflow the bottle” combines covering the hole and filling the bottle without clearly signalling the sequence. “Moreover” and “However” are used, but the latter does not express a clear contrast in “when bottle fill then repeat whole process.” Use sequencing expressions such as “first,” “once the bottle is full,” and “finally,” and make each sentence describe one or two connected stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “overflow,” “levels per minute,” “stand,” and “timing,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “collected water” and “calibration” implied by the marked levels. However, several word choices and forms are inaccurate or unnatural: “developing own water clock,” “stand play important role,” and “pass out remain water” make parts of the description less precise. Spelling errors such as “requier,” “stabelized,” and “fingure” also reduce control. Aim for accurate collocations and consistent technical wording, for example, describe water as “draining” or “flowing” and the stand as “supporting” the bottles.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which we need to cover” and a time relationship in “when bottle fill then repeat.” This shows some range, but grammatical control is uneven. Errors include missing articles and possessives (“developing own water clock”), subject–verb agreement (“stand play,” “bottle have,” and “water provide”), and incorrect verb forms (“when bottle fill”). Some sentences also have unclear clause structure, particularly “That bottle have hole in bottom, which we need to cover with fingure untill overflow the bottle.” Use present simple consistently to describe the process, check singular/plural agreement, and build clearer clauses with accurate articles. These corrections would make the sequence easier to understand.

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