Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-04

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)

How water clock is build is illustrated in the given process chart.

Overall, the process contains 7 stages initiating from turning on the flow of water through tap and ending with repeating the entire process.

After analysing the layouts it can be observed that, firstly tap is turned on to allow the flow of water. After that the hole is covered with the fingure to prevent flowing. subsequently, wait until the bottle gets filled and overflowed. when water starts overflowing level the measuring.

After leveling put away the fingure from hole and let the water flows out from the straw that is connected with glue and level according to per minute. Lastly empty the plastic bottle and measure the timing and repeat the process.

All in all, the entire process is tedious and takes numerous steps to complete.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and give its broad direction, from turning on the tap to repeating the procedure. However, several important details are unclear or inaccurately described. The diagram shows water overflowing through the straw, while water drips through a hole at the base into the lower bottle; your account says water flows out from the straw after the finger is removed, confusing these functions. “Level the measuring” and “level according to per minute” do not clearly explain that the lower bottle is marked to show the water level reached each minute. The final stage is to empty and repeat for timing things, not to measure the timing. The response is also 12 words below the required minimum. Add accurate detail about the apparatus and explain the stages more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall sequence, and the overview that the process has seven stages helps orient the reader. You also use transitions such as “After that,” “After leveling,” and “Lastly” to move through the procedure. However, the stages are compressed into one main paragraph, and some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “when water starts overflowing level the measuring” does not make the relationship between overflow and marking the bottle clear. The final “All in all” repeats the overview rather than adding useful information. Separate the overview from the detailed stages, and use clearer sequencing and reference—for instance, explain what “the bottle” refers to when both upper and lower bottles are involved.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “stages,” “overflowed,” “tap,” “hole,” and “plastic bottle,” so the reader can identify the general subject. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or combinations make the procedure difficult to understand. “Level the measuring” and “level according to per minute” are not natural ways to describe marking water levels at one-minute intervals. “Flow of water through tap” is also imprecise, while “tedious” adds an unsupported judgement rather than describing the diagram. Spelling errors such as “fingure” are noticeable. Build a more precise set of process terms, such as “attach,” “drip,” “mark,” and “at one-minute intervals,” and check spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including the overview sentence and the sequence beginning “After that.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make the steps hard to follow. Examples include “How water clock is build,” which needs an article and a correct passive form, and “let the water flows out,” where the verb form after “let” is incorrect. Several sentences also lack appropriate capitalisation after full stops, as in “subsequently” and “when.” The clause “when water starts overflowing level the measuring” needs clearer punctuation and sentence structure. Practise accurate passive constructions for describing a process, such as “The hole is covered,” and check verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries when proofreading.

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.