Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-05

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 6.0)

In the tech-savvy era, some developments have been proven as a game changer for all ages of people. Digital transactions are one of them. In major countries, it is very common for people to pay using their mobile phones for buying any things. I can surely assert that this development has outweigh the benefits than the demerits.

Digitalization not only makes people's lives easier, but it also makes it faster and more convenient. The foremost advantage of paying by mobile phone is that people can avoid carrying physical cash with them at all times. As a result, they can eliminate themselves from becoming the victim of pocket theft. At the same time, they can feel safe while travelling to work or on outings. Moreover, people can pay for things from any corner of the world. This development doesn't require any network. Thus, it is accessible to remote locations too. Furthermore, this development reduces physical currency flow in the market. So that the government might get help to rectify fake currency circulation rackets.

On the other hand, there is a demerit of this development too. There is a certain risk of data leakage, such as your personal information or your payment card information. As a consequence, you are more likely to make the victim of fraud.

In recapitulate, I can assert that paying by mobile phone has proven a positive development for society because of its reliability and convenience. People can mitigate the problem of data leakage by improving the security steps on their mobile phones.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the convenience of not carrying cash and the risks of data leakage. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the claim that mobile payments do not require a network is factually questionable and lacks further explanation. The conclusion is brief, and the overall argument could be strengthened by providing more concrete examples or deeper analysis of the societal impact. The response meets the requirements but stays at a basic level of development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. For example, the transition between the benefits of mobile payments and the government's role in curbing fake currency is abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive to improve the overall progression of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common items like 'tech-savvy', 'recapitulate', and 'mitigate'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'eliminate themselves from becoming the victim' (which is awkward) and 'make the victim of fraud' (should be 'become'). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. The repetition of 'development' also limits the lexical variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'this development has outweigh the benefits' (should be 'outweighed'), 'buying any things' (should be 'buying things'), and 'So that the government might get help' (a sentence fragment). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of these minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The majority of sentences are understandable, but the control over complex structures is inconsistent.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.