Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-03

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 5.0)

The diagram illustrates the process of making a water clock, from the first stage to the last stage.

Overall, the process has 7 main stages, begining with tap on end with empty and repeat process for timing things. The diagram is presented in a clear order, so each stage leads to the next one. In addition plastic bottle is in important part of the process, and it happen levels per minute.

First, open the tap is start water, Then, cover the hole with finger is store water. After that fill top bottle to overflow, and then level constant is check water level. This is stage is important because cover the hole bottle and check level.

Next, finger away from hole

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the topic and give a basic overview that there are seven stages, but the report covers only the beginning of the process. You describe turning on the tap, covering the hole, filling the upper bottle and checking the level; the final stages—removing the finger, observing the water levels per minute, and emptying and repeating the process—are not explained. The overview also says the process “happen levels per minute,” which does not clearly describe the clock’s purpose. Some details are inaccurate or unclear, such as saying covering the hole is to “store water.” The response is 120 words, below the required 150, and its incomplete account leaves the task only minimally addressed. Include all stages and explain how the apparatus measures time.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation: an opening sentence is followed by an overview, then paragraphs beginning “First” and “Next.” This gives the reader a rough sense of sequence, and phrases such as “After that” and “Next” attempt to connect stages. However, progression is not sustained: the response stops after “Next, finger away from hole,” leaving the sequence unfinished. Several links are unclear or repetitive, particularly “This is stage is important because cover the hole bottle and check level,” which does not show how the ideas relate. The overview also repeats the seven-stage sequence without clearly summarising the process. To improve, use one paragraph for the setup and early stages and another for the remaining stages, with clear links between each action and its result.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is basic but includes relevant terms from the diagram, such as “tap,” “hole,” “top bottle,” “water level,” and “stages.” These make the general subject recognisable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are unclear, including “tap on,” “store water,” and “it happen levels per minute.” “Plastic bottle is in important part” also expresses the idea awkwardly. Spelling errors such as “begining” are noticeable. Use more precise process vocabulary and accurate collocations to describe the apparatus and its function—for example, explain that water flows through the hole and that the lower bottle is marked to show levels over time. This would make the report clearer and less repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a few longer sentences, including “After that fill top bottle to overflow, and then level constant is check water level,” but sentence structures are often incomplete or incorrectly formed. Examples include “Overall, the process has 7 main stages, begining with tap on end with empty,” where the participle and stage descriptions are not grammatically connected, and “First, open the tap is start water,” which combines incompatible structures. Articles and verb forms are also frequently missing or inaccurate, as in “plastic bottle is in important part” and “it happen.” The final line, “Next, finger away from hole,” is only a fragment. Practise complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use consistent passive forms where appropriate, such as “The hole is covered” and “The bottle is filled.”

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