Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Paying for things using mobile phone apps is increasingly becoming more commonplace, and I think it has more advantages than disadvantages, even though there is a healthy presence of both.

To begin, the greatest advantage of being able to make payments using phone apps is the convenience. It is very handy to not need to cart around purses and wallets to hold cash or cards to pay for things. People already take their phones everywhere with them, and it is not uncommon to lose or forget wallets and purses that have the cards or cash in them. In cases where those conventional modes of payment are unavailable, using the apps comes in handy. I personally have had an experience where I went to make a purchase and realized that the card I had on me was expired. It was being able to fund the store app card I already had on my phone to pay for my items that saved me embarrassment and enabled me get my items. Furthermore, being able to pay using phone apps saves time by reducing the need to go to the bank or ATM machines to withdraw cash consistently. Additionally, these phone apps are known to offer perks for using their platforms, which can be considered an added bonus.

On the other hand, using phone apps to pay for things exposes one to a higher risk of greater loss in the event of theft of the device. Previously, if a person's phone is stolen that is all the thieves get. However, with the availability of bank cards now stored on phone apps for the purpose of making payments, a thief could gain access to banking and card information and steal money and even said information, which could then be used for further nefarious purposes. This compounds the loss and could quickly complicate a person's life.

Beyond that, using apps to make payment is not readily accessible to everyone. First, it requires phones with certain capabilities to use these apps and these kinds of phones are usually more expensive to acquire. Secondly, older and less tech-savvy folks who may even have access to the required kinds of phones may not know how to navigate their use to pay for things.

My personal approach is finding a balance, where I have access to the conventional modes of making payments, such as having some cash and my cards on me, but also ensure to have the option of using my phone in the event I need it.

In conclusion, though there are risks and disadvantages to using a mobile phone apps to make payment, I believe that the advantages outweigh them and some of the greater risks can be circumvented, such as having the cards and bank information secured behind several security walls to prevent easy access by ill-meaning individuals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have fully addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mobile payment apps and clearly stating your position. Your ideas are well-developed, particularly the section on convenience and the counter-argument regarding security risks. The personal example provided adds depth to your argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that your conclusion does not just repeat your position but synthesizes the main points more effectively. Overall, your response is well-structured and directly answers the question posed in the task instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Your essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use transition words like 'To begin', 'Furthermore', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' effectively to guide the reader. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall flow. While your use of cohesive devices is generally strong, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases further to create a more natural, sophisticated flow between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'nefarious purposes', 'circumvented', and 'conventional modes of payment' show a good command of language. There are occasional minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'cart around' (which is quite informal) or 'fund the store app card'. However, these do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, aim to incorporate more idiomatic expressions or less common collocations that sound more natural in a formal academic or professional context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. Your control over punctuation is generally good, and your grammar is accurate enough that the reader is never confused. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'enabled me get my items' (missing 'to') and 'using a mobile phone apps' (article/plurality error). These are rare and do not detract from the overall clarity. To improve, focus on ensuring consistent subject-verb agreement and article usage in more complex sentence constructions.

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