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 diagram illustrates the pictorial representation of how to build your own water clock. A stand having two plastic bottles, one is placed at the bottom and other one is attached the the stand with the help if tape. First of all, you have to turn on the tap by placing your finger on the bottom hole of plastic bottle which is connected to a stand with the help of an adhesive tape. Fill the bottle with water until it overflows from the side straw and water drops off. Allow the water to reach a constant level and once its achieved, remove your finger from bottom hole. The water will drop off from the hole into a plastic bottle, whose neck has been cut, having levels per minute on it, from where we can make an estimate of the time it consumes to fill up. Then empty the bottle and repeat your process for calculating average of the time taken.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers the main sequence, from turning on the tap and filling the upper bottle to releasing the water and using the lower bottle to gauge time. It also includes relevant construction details, such as the stand, tape, straw and cut-off lower bottle. However, some stages are not described precisely: the finger should cover the hole before the upper bottle is filled, whereas the response combines turning on the tap with placing a finger over the hole. The final instruction is to empty and repeat the process for timing things; calculating an average is an added interpretation, and the explanation of how the marked levels indicate time is unclear. A clearer overview of the apparatus and a more exact account of the numbered stages would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information is presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing phrases such as “First of all,” “once,” and “Then” help the reader follow the process. The response also moves from describing the apparatus to explaining its operation. However, it is written as one continuous paragraph, so the construction and operating stages are not clearly separated. Some links between actions are compressed: the sentence beginning “First of all” combines turning on the tap and covering the hole, making the sequence difficult to follow. The long final sentence also contains several pieces of information without a clear distinction between water collection, reading the levels and repeating the process. Grouping the stages and using more precise references would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “stand,” “adhesive tape,” “overflows,” “constant level” and “neck has been cut.” These choices make the apparatus and process mostly identifiable. However, some expressions are awkward or imprecise for a process report. “Pictorial representation” is unnecessarily elaborate, “water drops off” is not a natural description of the flow, and “the time it consumes to fill up” does not clearly express what the marked levels measure. There is also repetition of “bottle” and “with the help of.” Aim for concise, accurate process vocabulary and natural collocations, especially when describing the water dripping and the purpose of the calibration marks.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a relative clause in “a plastic bottle, whose neck has been cut” and a time clause beginning “once.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening fragment, “A stand having two plastic bottles,” is not a complete sentence, and “one is placed … and other one is attached” has inconsistent structure and missing article use. In “once its achieved,” the contraction needs an apostrophe and the passive form should be “it is achieved.” The sentence beginning “First of all” also joins several actions in a way that obscures their grammatical relationship. Use complete sentences and check articles, verb forms and sentence boundaries while retaining some complex structures.

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.