Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-29

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 illustration presents the procedure to build water clock.

Overall, the making water clock involves various stages. Each step is mandatory for manufraturing the water clock.

The inital stage is where you open the tap and collect water in a plastic bottle. The plastic bottle is attached to a iron stand with tape. Bottle is slighty ruptured in the bottom with tiny hole. To avoid water drops getting out of that damaged part you need to cover hole with finger. You need to fill bottle to the top to where level is constant to overflow through a straw from little water drops will come out. The straw is attached to bottle through glue. The fifth step involves with taking your finger away from the plastic bottle and let the water dropslets out from the bottom of bottle. In the second last stage you need to collect water in a plastic bottle with it's neck cut off. in this stage you also need to check levels of water in per minute. The last step is where you check the readings of water in a plastic bottle with measuring numbers. Each time when you repeat the process you will get different reading and then repeat the whole process for multiple timing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the main sequence, from opening the tap and filling the upper bottle to allowing water to drip into the lower container and repeating the process. You also include relevant construction details such as the stand, tape, straw and cut-off bottle. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately described: the diagram says to cover the hole before filling the upper bottle, while your account makes the order difficult to follow; “check levels of water in per minute” does not clearly explain that the lower bottle is marked to show levels per minute. The overview is also generic (“various stages”) rather than identifying the clock’s basic operation. Clarify the sequence and explain how the marked levels are used to measure time.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the numbered process broadly, and phrases such as “The initial stage,” “The fifth step,” and “The last step” help signal sequence. The overall arrangement is understandable, but the report is presented as one long paragraph, so the construction details and operating stages are not clearly grouped. Some links between actions are also difficult to follow: the sentence beginning “You need to fill bottle to the top” combines the overflow, straw and water drops without clearly showing their relationship. Use separate paragraphs for the apparatus and the stages, and connect each action with precise sequencing language such as “Once the bottle is full” and “After the water begins to drip.” This would make progression clearer and reduce the impression of a list.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “attached,” “overflow,” “straw,” “glue” and “levels,” so the reader can identify many components and actions. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward, sometimes making details hard to understand. For example, “slighty ruptured” is not a suitable description of a bottle with a small hole, “water dropslets” is unclear, and “multiple timing” does not express repeated timing accurately. Spelling errors such as “manufraturing” and “inital” also reduce control. Aim for precise, conventional terms such as “a small hole,” “water drips,” and “repeat the process to time different activities,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including clauses beginning “To avoid…” and “Each time when…,” but complex constructions are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “The illustration presents the procedure to build water clock,” which needs an article and a more natural construction, and “The fifth step involves with taking your finger away,” where the verb pattern is incorrect. There are also missing articles and inconsistent sentence boundaries, as in “Bottle is slighty…” and the lowercase “in this stage.” Practise accurate article use, verb patterns (“involves taking”), and sentence punctuation. Shorter, controlled sentences would help communicate each stage clearly while you build range.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.