Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-12

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)

In many parts of the world, mobile payments are becoming increasingly popular. This trends has merits such as increased convenience and better track of expenses. On the other hand, it has also given a rise to cyber crimes.

Firstly, when payments are made using mobile phone apps, it eliminate the need of carrying cash. We can enter our card details in the applications within seconds and make a payment. Secondly, online payments are easy to track even after months. This is because the receipts of the transactions are emailed online which can be retained in our inbox for years. These receipts can be viewed and downloaded at any time later.

On the other hand, online payments has increased cyber crimes. There are many unknown parties which make scam calls to people and ask for one time password. If this password is shared by the users, money from their account can be withdrawn without their consent. Additionally, many applications has non-refundable systems. Payment made to them can not be reversed, even if it is made by mistake. For example, I was once checking a flight ticket on a popular app, I accidently touched the make a payment icon and the money was deducted from my account as my card details were already saved in the application. I contacted the team to reverse the charges but they informed me that the ticket I booked was non-refundable and it is against their policies to provide me a refund.

In conclusion, although payments made using mobile applications offer comfort and convenience and it is easy to check our spending any time later. It has also given a rise to cyber crimes and sometime strict policies of the online systems cost us money. Therefore, online systems should be used wisely.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that acknowledges both advantages and disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the convenience of mobile payments and the risks of cybercrime. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat uneven. While the personal example regarding the flight ticket is helpful, the discussion on cybercrime could be more analytical. The conclusion is a bit repetitive, merely restating points rather than synthesising them. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully explored with more depth and that the conclusion provides a more sophisticated summary of the overall argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the use of 'it' in the conclusion, which lacks a clear antecedent. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the structure supports the reader's understanding of the writer's position.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'non-refundable' and 'consent'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'given a rise to' (should be 'given rise to') and 'non-refundable systems' (which is slightly unnatural). The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed to reach a higher band. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, subject-verb agreement issues are frequent, such as 'This trends has' (should be 'This trend has'), 'online payments has' (should be 'have'), and 'many applications has' (should be 'have'). Additionally, there are minor errors in article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical agreement would improve the overall accuracy.

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