Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-01

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 6.5)

This diagram depicts the process of making a water clock. The main things needed to make a water clock are 2 plastic bottles of different shape and a stand. We tie one plastic bottle (the one with straw, funnel top opening, and a small hole on the bottom base of the bottle) on the upper end of the stand with some tape. This is the bottle which should be placed under the tap to get the water from tap. Then we keep the other plastic bottle (in the beaker shape) on the lower base of the stand. In this second bottle, the water would drip from the upper bottle through the hole. The lower bottle has the markings for levels per minute. We turn on the tap, cover the hole in the bottom of the upper plastic bottle, and start filling the bottle with water up to the straw where water starts to overflow. Once the level is contant to where the straw is, then we move the finger away from the hole and let the water flow to lower bottle. Water reached to the level markings on the lower bottle represent the time in minutes. This is the core working of a water clock. Once the lower beaker is filled completely, we empty both the bottle and repeat the process

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The report covers both the apparatus and the operating sequence, and its main account is grounded in the diagram: it identifies the upper bottle, lower collecting bottle, stand, tap, overflow straw and base hole, then explains filling, releasing the water and reading the levels. This gives the reader a clear understanding of how the clock works. The description of the straw as the point at which water overflows and the lower bottle’s markings as minute levels is particularly relevant. Some details are less precise: the diagram specifies glue for attaching the straw, which is not mentioned, and the final instruction is to empty and repeat the process, rather than explicitly emptying both bottles. A concise overview of the stages before the detail would make the report more complete and controlled.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information follows a sensible order, moving from the materials and construction to the clock’s operation and repetition. Sequencing words such as “Then,” “Once,” and “This is the core working” help connect the explanation, and the references to the upper and lower bottles generally make the process easy to follow. However, the response is presented as one long paragraph, so the distinction between construction and operation is not visually clear. Some links are also repetitive or slightly awkward, particularly the repeated use of “bottle” and the transition from describing the markings to explaining the filling stages. Grouping the apparatus description separately from the numbered operating sequence, and using clearer stage transitions, would provide stronger paragraphing and more flexible cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Vocabulary is adequate for describing this process, with useful task-specific terms such as “stand,” “overflow,” “markings,” and “drip.” The writer also attempts more precise descriptions, including “funnel top opening” and “beaker shape,” although these are not the most natural labels for the containers shown. Some word choices and collocations reduce precision: “contant” is misspelled, “water reached to the level markings” is awkward, and “core working” is not idiomatic in this context. Repetition of “bottle” and “water” also limits flexibility. Use standard process vocabulary and more natural combinations, such as “the water level remains constant,” “the water drips into the lower container,” and “the clock can then be reset.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including relative clauses (“the one with straw…”) and time clauses beginning with “Once.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions persist. For example, “We tie one plastic bottle… on the upper end” has an unsuitable preposition, while “Water reached to the level markings… represent the time” has problems with tense, preposition and subject–verb agreement. The final sentence also lacks a full stop, and the shift between present instructions (“We turn on”) and conditional phrasing (“would drip”) is not fully consistent. Aim to keep the present simple throughout and check agreement and sentence boundaries; for example, “The water level in the lower bottle indicates the elapsed time.”

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