Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-07

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 6.0)

The picture depicts the working mechanism of a mechanical arm, and how the joints making the arm imitate human arm.

Overall, the mechanical arm consists of a base, a wrist, a pivot, a gripper, an elbow joint and a shoulder joint. The joints and the gripper contain motors that are controlled by a computer.

The computer controls the precision movements of the motors in the gripper and the joints. The gripper has built-in sensors that control force, it is connected to the elbow buy a wrist that allow the gripper or its alternatives to flex or rotate. The elbow provides flexibility. The elbow is connected to the shoulder, which has a pivot that enables the rotation of the arm. The shoulder is responsible for raising or lowering the arm. This complex is attached to a base which is ussualy immobile but sometime movable.

The gripper which is the end-effector has some alternatives that can perform various functions such as spray paint, drill holes and weld metals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main components and explain several functions, including the computer’s control of the motors, the elbow’s flexibility, the shoulder’s movement, and the gripper’s sensors. You also mention the alternative end-effectors and their uses, so the response covers the key subject matter. However, some relationships are unclear or inaccurately described: the wrist connects the forearm to the gripper, rather than connecting the gripper to the elbow, and the pivot is presented as part of the shoulder rather than as a separate feature above the base. The overview lists components but does not clearly summarise how the arm is controlled and positioned. A more precise account of the layout and the motor connections would make the main features clearer and more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, a description of the arm’s components, and a final sentence about alternative end-effectors. This gives the reader a sensible route through the information. Within the main description, however, several features are packed into one long sentence, particularly the sentence beginning “The gripper has built-in sensors,” which makes the connections between parts harder to follow. The sequence also moves from the gripper back to the elbow and shoulder, rather than consistently describing the arm from its base upwards or from the computer downwards. Use clearer sentence boundaries and linking phrases to show these relationships, and ensure pronouns such as “its” have an unmistakable reference.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of task vocabulary, including “built-in sensors,” “flexibility,” “pivot,” “end-effector,” and “precision movements.” These terms help convey the diagram’s technical content, and the meaning is generally understandable. Some word choices and collocations are less accurate or natural: “imitate human arm” is awkward for describing the comparison, while “the joints and the gripper contain motors” overstates what the diagram shows. There are also spelling errors in “buy” and “ussualy,” and “weld metals” is less natural than the diagram’s wording. Aim for precise technical phrasing and check spelling carefully; this will make the description more fluent without requiring more complicated vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple statements and more complex structures, including relative clauses such as “which has a pivot” and “which is the end-effector.” Most of the meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “the joints making the arm imitate human arm” needs a complete, correctly formed comparison, and “a wrist that allow” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence “The gripper has built-in sensors that control force, it is connected…” joins two independent clauses with only a comma. There are also missing or incorrect articles and forms in phrases such as “a human arm” and “the gripper or its alternatives.” Review agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, while retaining the complex structures you are already attempting.

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

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