Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-26

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how a mechanical arm works, and how the joints that make up the arm function in the same way as those in a human arm. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

This schema demonstrates the working bases of a mechanical arm and present the function of the joints that compose it and how those joints stimulate real arm's joints.

Overall, The mechanical arm is composed by 6 main components that compose the whole body of the artificial arm and by 3 motors that represent the mechanical function of the arm, each motor contribute in arm's specific movement that make it simulate real arm's fonctions.

The mechanical arm is built with a lot of specific details. First there is the base that represents the bottom of the arm and it's occasinally movable. Followed by the pivot that is the responsible for arm's rotation. Afterwards, there is the shoulder that manage arm position : either raises or drops down . In the upper part, we find the elbow that is in the form of square and its principale function is giving the arm more flexibility in movement . Then, we have a long metal tube that simulate arm's wrist and its principale function is allowing the grip to close or open or to rotate. And finally the last piece is the gripper that is responsable in catching objects . The arm achieves its objective of movements with three main motors , that are responsables of base,elbow and gripper movements. And those motors are controled by a well programmed computer .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the mechanical arm and explained the function of its components. You also made a clear connection to the human arm as requested. However, the response lacks a clear overview of the overall process or the relationship between the motors and the joints. While you listed the components, the description of how the arm functions as a whole is somewhat fragmented. To reach a higher band, ensure that the 'main features' are synthesized into a cohesive summary rather than just listing parts in a sequence. You have addressed all parts of the prompt, but the development of the comparison between the mechanical and human arm could be more detailed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and a detailed body paragraph. You use some cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Followed by', 'Afterwards', and 'And finally' to guide the reader through the components. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, with the second paragraph being quite long and dense. Additionally, some transitions are repetitive or mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas flows more naturally between sentences. The use of referencing (e.g., 'those motors') is generally clear, but the overall structure could benefit from more sophisticated signposting.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using technical terms like 'pivot', 'gripper', and 'mechanical arm'. However, there are several spelling errors ('principale', 'responsable', 'controled', 'occasinally') and some awkward word choices, such as 'working bases' instead of 'working principles' or 'stimulate' instead of 'simulate'. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, the frequent spelling mistakes and minor inaccuracies in collocation prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading your work to catch these basic errors and try to incorporate more precise technical terminology to enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are persistent grammatical errors throughout the text. For example, 'The mechanical arm is composed by' should be 'composed of', and 'each motor contribute' should be 'each motor contributes'. There are also issues with article usage ('the base', 'the elbow') and punctuation, such as the unnecessary space before the comma in 'movement ,'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions in technical descriptions.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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