Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-02

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)

Payment method in most of the countries has been digitalized nowadays. Where buyers are using their phones to just tap and pay. Moreover, it is very convenient method of paying for the things you buy. However, some people find this method disadvantageous because they believe it is risky in poor network areas. While I personally believe this is a better idea.

To begin with, some people believe that paying through mobiles has become easiest way for the buyers. Where people do not have to carry heavy wallets in their pockets every time. Whereas, buyers just carry their phones and make a payment anytime in just seconds. Moreover, it has some advantages such as payment proof and no more coins issue as a change. Therefore, when a person buys a thing from a store, he has a proof always in the phone in case of return or exchange. Additionally, an individual does not have to worry about the change, instead he can pay the exact amount.

On the other hand, others argue that, digital payments always create a problem. They believe that, poor network coverage can result in failed payments and sometime takes longer than usual time. Moreover, it has been seen that, bank servers are sometimes under maintenance and buyer with no advanced information tend to suffer while buying stuff. Therefore, people believe that old cash methods were a better mode of payments. Where people used to carry cash in the wallets and never faced an issue such as network issue or server maintenance,

In conclusion, despite the fact that old cash methods has some advantages, digital mode of payments outweigh old payment method. It makes payments convenient and avoid such risks of being robbed or wallets lost.

In conclusion, despite the fact that old cash methods has some advantages, digital mode of payments outweigh old payment method. It makes payments convenient and avoid such risks of being robbed or wallets lost.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, providing a clear position on the advantages and disadvantages of mobile payments. The ideas are relevant, such as convenience and payment proof versus network issues and server maintenance. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the point about 'payment proof' is mentioned but not fully explained in terms of how it functions in a real-world scenario. The conclusion is repeated twice, which is a structural flaw, but the overall task is addressed adequately. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your examples with more depth and ensure your argument flows logically without repetition.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to link your points. However, some of the linking is mechanical, and there are issues with sentence-level cohesion, such as starting sentences with 'Where' or 'Whereas' inappropriately (e.g., 'Where buyers are using their phones...'). Additionally, the repetition of the entire conclusion paragraph at the end significantly disrupts the flow and coherence of the final section. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that each sentence is grammatically complete will help improve your score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'digitalized', 'network coverage', and 'server maintenance'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'no more coins issue as a change' and 'buyer with no advanced information'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do show a lack of precision. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. Focus on using words that sound more natural in a formal context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles (e.g., 'in most of the countries'), subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'old cash methods has'), and sentence fragments (e.g., 'Where people used to carry cash...'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with commas often placed incorrectly. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy, especially subject-verb agreement and article usage, will significantly improve your writing.

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