Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-02

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 6.0)

The demonstrated diagram illustrates the process for making a water clock.

Overall, water clock is a seven stage linear process that begins with tap on of water and concludes with the empty and repeat process for timing things.

In the beginning, we have to turn on water tap and fill the plastic bottle. When the tap is on we have to cover hole with the finger otherwise the water will not stay in the container. Once done with that stage we have to fill bottle until it overflows. we put a glue in bottle to add straw which helps to make this process. We have to make sure that our water level is constant.

After that for next stage we should remove finger that we keep in the begining to cover the hole. There is another container which is basically a plastic bottle which neck is cut off. We have to measure the levels per minute. And in the last stage the container is empty and we will repeat process for timing things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The report identifies the diagram as a seven-stage process and gives a relevant overview, from turning on the tap to repeating the process for timing. It also includes several key stages: covering the hole, filling the upper bottle until it overflows, removing the finger, and measuring levels per minute. However, some important construction details are missing or unclear, including attaching the upper bottle to the stand with tape and placing the lower bottle beneath it to collect the water. The explanation that glue is put “in bottle” to add the straw is not quite accurate: glue fixes the straw to the bottle’s side. The stages are generally covered, but describing the apparatus and how the water is collected would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction and overview are followed by two paragraphs describing the stages. Sequencing phrases such as “In the beginning,” “Once done with that stage,” and “After that” help the reader follow the process. However, the progression is occasionally mechanical, and some references are unclear. For example, “we have to fill the plastic bottle” does not specify which bottle, while “that stage” and “another container” require the reader to infer the apparatus. The final paragraph also moves from removing the finger to the lower container and measurement without clearly explaining how water flows into it. Use more precise references and connect each step explicitly to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate to describe the main actions and objects, including “cover hole,” “overflows,” “straw,” and “levels per minute.” The writer also uses process language such as “stage” and “repeat process.” However, several phrases are imprecise or unnatural for a formal report, including “tap on of water,” “put a glue in bottle,” and “which neck is cut off.” Repetition of “we have to” also limits the range of process vocabulary. Choose more precise verbs and collocations, such as “attach,” “secure,” “collect,” and “mark,” and use terms like “upper bottle” and “lower container” consistently. These changes would make the description clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple sentences and some longer structures, including the conditional “otherwise the water will not stay in the container” and the time clause “Once done with that stage.” The main sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Articles and sentence construction are problematic in phrases such as “water clock is a seven stage linear process” and “cover hole with the finger”; the sentence beginning “we put a glue” also has an awkward structure. There are also punctuation and capitalisation slips, notably the lowercase “we” after a full stop and “begining” within the sentence. Aim for complete, consistently punctuated sentences and check articles, agreement, and clause structure.

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