Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-02

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)

The diagram 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. The diagram shows a pivot that enables the arm to rotate while it is sitting steadily on a stationary, occasionally movable base. The pivot is raised or generally moved with the help of a shoulder, while the wrist allow the gripper to rotate. The gripper has built-in sensors that control force while moving objects.

Similarly, in the diagram, we see the elbow's functionality is to ensure and promote movement with flexibility.

Substantially, we can observe that there are altogether 3 motors involved in the overall functionality of the mechanical arm. One of them is involved in order to make sure the gripper is working, the second motor enables the elbow to ensure flexibility, and the third motor is involved in the shoulder movement, i.e., raising or lowering the arm.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task partially, as it attempts to describe the main features of the mechanical arm diagram, but it misses several key components and oversimplifies the visual data. While it mentions the base, pivot, shoulder, wrist, gripper, and elbow, it omits important details such as the computer precision control, the three distinct motor connections to their respective parts, and the alternative end-effectors like spray painting, drilling, and welding. Some ideas are under-developed, and the report lacks a clear overview or summary of how the system operates as a whole, which is a fundamental requirement for Academic Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text demonstrates some organisation, but it lacks a clear overall progression from a global overview to specific details. Cohesive devices are occasionally mechanical or awkwardly integrated, such as starting paragraphs with 'Similarly, in the diagram, we see...' and 'Substantially, we can observe that...'. Paragraphing is also somewhat fragmented, as the text is split into short, disjointed blocks rather than cohesive groupings of related mechanical features. Referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to follow the logical flow of how the components interact.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating specific terms from the diagram such as 'pivot', 'stationary', 'gripper', and 'sensors'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is occasionally accompanied by awkward word choice or slight imprecision, such as 'while it is sitting steadily' or 'Substantially, we can observe'. However, spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede overall communication, placing the writing comfortably in the adequate range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response shows a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a solid foundation that meets the requirements for a higher band. There is good control over basic structures and some complex patterns, such as 'The diagram shows how a mechanical arm works, and how the joints...'. However, there are some noticeable grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'the wrist allow', and minor prepositional or structural awkwardness. These errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the sentence structures to remain generally functional.

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

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