Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-31

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 how to make the water clock step by step in a detail process.

Overall, the process of making water clock involve seven stages. whole process involves using two plastic bottles, same tape, a stand and lastly a straw.

The process starts by opening the tap in first stage through which the water starts flowing into the plastic bottle which has a tiny hole in the bottom, cover that hole with your finger and let the water to fill till the top to overflow, while keep the bottle steadily by taping it to the stand. keep the water level constant by sticking a straw inside on the bottle and letting it drip water.

After this, in stage five now remove the finger from the bottom of the bottle and let the water drip into the other half cut plastic bottle placed under it and keep marking the level per minute in the bottle, finally empty the bottle and repeat the whole process to time the whole thing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The report covers the main sequence and gives a useful overview that there are seven stages and several pieces of equipment. It also describes the tap, upper bottle, stand, straw and lower cut bottle, so the account is relevant and broadly matches the diagram. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the straw is fixed to the side of the upper bottle as an overflow drain, rather than being stuck “inside,” and the diagram says to mark the lower bottle’s water level per minute, not simply to “keep marking the level.” The construction and operation are also blended together, leaving some stages less clearly explained. A more precise account of the apparatus and each numbered stage would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall sequence, with an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs describing the stages. Phrases such as “The process starts,” “After this” and “finally” help the reader follow the general order. However, progression within the long third paragraph is difficult to track because several actions are joined together, and the transition from building the apparatus to using it is not clearly signalled. The phrase “in stage five now” also interrupts the flow, while “keep marking” does not clearly connect to the preceding action. Separate the setup from the operating stages and use clearer links between numbered steps; this would make the organisation more consistently easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “overflow,” “taping,” “drip” and “marking,” and the reader can generally understand the intended procedure. However, the range is somewhat limited and several choices are imprecise or awkward for a formal process report. “In a detail process” is not a natural expression, and “sticking a straw inside on the bottle” does not accurately describe the straw’s position or function. “The other half cut plastic bottle” is also an unclear way to identify the lower container. Choose precise terms for the apparatus and use standard process-report phrasing; this would improve clarity and reduce the noticeable word-choice and collocation problems.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There is an attempt to use both simple statements and longer, linked sentences to describe the stages. However, the longer constructions are often difficult to control, as in “cover that hole with your finger and let the water to fill till the top to overflow,” where the verb pattern and sentence structure are faulty. Other errors include “process … involve,” “whole process” without an article, and the sentence fragment “keep the water level constant.” Capitalisation after full stops is also inconsistent. These errors sometimes make the sequence harder to interpret, although the main meaning remains recoverable. Use shorter, complete sentences for individual stages, check subject–verb agreement and articles, and proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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