Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-07-30

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries, paying for things using mobile phone (cellphone) apps is becoming increasingly common. Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Nowadays, many countries are using mobile phone applications, such as cell phones, in purchasing processes instead of paying in cash. This essay will discuss the pros and cons reasons regarding this topic.

In recent years, the development of technology has been increasing, and as a result the payment process has also developed. You can now pay with your bank cards or even mobile applications. Moreover, it is a simple step to activate this application on your mobile. All you need is your bank card and password and then you can use them to purchase anything. This has a significant impact on saving time and effort, and it has made it easier for cashiers to finalize their jobs quickly.

On the other hand, many old people are struggling with using these applications, it is not easy for them to change their mentality according to payment. Furthermore, this opened a new window for hacking for example, if the application does not have a high level of security, it could be easy to steal the customer's accounts. As a result of that you need to be sure which application you will use. Additionally, here are some tips for you in case you lose your mobile phone, you should call customer service to stop your accounts immediately to save money.

In conclusion, paying for things using mobile phone applications has both pros and cons therefore, people should adapt much as they can to using these applications because, in the future there will be no place to pay in cash.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'old people' struggling is a good observation but lacks specific examples or deeper analysis of why this is a significant disadvantage. The conclusion is a bit abrupt and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, you should aim to expand on your points with more detailed explanations or real-world examples to demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition in the third paragraph from the difficulty of the elderly to the issue of hacking is quite abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'purchasing processes', 'finalize', and 'mentality'. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural word choices, such as 'change their mentality according to payment' or 'opened a new window for hacking'. These do not impede communication, but they suggest a need for more precise collocations. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that are contextually appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'many countries are using mobile phone applications, such as cell phones' (which is slightly redundant) and punctuation issues, such as comma splices (e.g., '...struggling with using these applications, it is not easy...'). You should focus on using punctuation correctly to separate independent clauses and aim for more complex sentence structures with fewer errors to improve your accuracy.

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