Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-10

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)

Digital methods of payments such as mobile phone apps are gaining importance in multiple nations. It has significant advantages such as convenience and some disadvantage like possible cyber-theft .

On one hand, one of the significant merit offered by digital methods of payment is convenience. Since, people do not carry the cash or credit cards every where if they can pay through the phone, it considerably enhances their shopping experience. Another important advantage is reduced risk of theft or pick-pocketing. This is because since individuals do not carry large cash amounts, it drops the chances of loss of money by theft or by pick-pocketing. Furthermore, using digital money reduces corruption at multiple levels as shopkeepers cannot hide their earnings from government and need to pay taxes on their income which is truly get reflected from their business accounts. This practice prevents black money accumulation and uplifts the society as a whole.

On the other hand, the demerit such as risk of cyber-theft cannot be overlooked as it can put consumers in formidable situations. It is quite common to hear the stories of cyber-fraud by the devious criminals who are coming up with innovative ways to steal money online. When one enters his credit card or bank details on the apps, there is always a risk of data leak which can be misused by hackers to steal the hard earned money of innocent users. Even though, many applications promise secure platforms the risk of such incidents cannot be minimized.

In conclusion, although paying through cellular apps has a potential disadvantage of possible cyber-theft, the advantages offered in terms of convenience, prevention of in person theft and transparency in business are far more considerable in

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task and maintains a clear position throughout. You have identified both advantages and disadvantages, providing relevant supporting points such as convenience, security from physical theft, and the reduction of corruption. The ideas are extended and supported well, although the conclusion is incomplete, which slightly impacts the overall development of the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that your conclusion fully synthesizes your main points rather than trailing off. Overall, the response is well-focused and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with clear paragraphing. You use cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader through your argument. However, there are some minor issues with mechanical cohesion; for example, the phrase 'Since, people do not carry...' uses an unnecessary comma after 'Since', and the transition between sentences could be smoother in places. The referencing is generally clear, and the progression of ideas is logical throughout the body paragraphs. The abrupt ending in the final paragraph slightly disrupts the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'formidable situations', 'devious criminals', and 'black money accumulation' show an attempt to use less common lexical items. However, there are occasional inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'which is truly get reflected' (should be 'which is reflected') and 'drops the chances' (should be 'reduces the chances'). Despite these minor errors, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you show good control over complex sentences, there are persistent grammatical errors, such as 'carry the cash' (unnecessary article), 'if they can pay through the phone' (should be 'via phone'), and 'Even though, many applications...' (incorrect punctuation). Additionally, the final sentence is incomplete, which is a significant grammatical error. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score in this criterion.

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