Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-13

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 7.0)

The concept of purchasing things using smart phones with the help of digital wallets has sparked significant discussion. Although this development has several advantages, it also has some disadvantages. This essay will discuss both the positive and negative impacts on digitalization of money before explaining why I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

One major reason behind the latest innovation of digital cards is to prevent theft. This is because carrying money in public leads to pickpockets and even can threaten people's lives. For example, there is a high chance of losing cash from wallets when attending public functions, as it is crowded it will be not easy to find the person who stole it. The introduction of mobile apps like Google Pay or digital wallets particularly for payments ensures the safety of cash as it is password protected. As a result, the hard earned money of people is safeguarded.

Another vital reason is that it helps to improve the saving habits of people. This is particularly important because the banking apps on cellphones allow us to save the money for different purposes in different accounts like savings account and ensuring that we are spending money from the chequing account within our income limit. Handling cash in hand has the tendency of spending more and also it is hard to remember all the cash transactions we made as it lacks records when compared to digital wallets. Digitalization is also the fastest mode of cash transactions. Therefore, It allows us to send the money to another account in no time.

Despite these benefits, digital payments also have some disadvantages. One major concern is that people can become too dependent on technology. For instance, if a person's phone is lost, the battery dies, or there is no internet connection, they may not be able to make a payment when needed. In addition, some people especially older people find it really difficult to learn the new method of paying as they are used to the cash system. But this can be sorted by giving proper understanding of online transaction with their safety.

In conclusion, after considering all these points it can be inferred that the technological advancement made on money that made the cash transactions easy and safe serves more practical and beneficial for people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, such as the points regarding theft prevention and improved financial tracking. However, the development of the disadvantages is slightly less robust than the advantages. For instance, the suggestion that older people can be taught to use digital payments is a brief solution rather than an exploration of the disadvantage itself. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are explored with equal depth and that the conclusion clearly synthesizes the main points rather than just restating the position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, such as theft prevention or saving habits. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Another vital reason', 'Despite these benefits', and 'In conclusion', which help the reader follow the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of digital wallets and the speed of transactions in the third paragraph feels a bit abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. You have used some topic-specific terms like 'digital wallets', 'cash transactions', and 'technological advancement'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'innovation of digital cards' (which is slightly imprecise) and 'giving proper understanding' (which would be better phrased as 'providing proper training' or 'education'). While the range is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items would help elevate the score. The spelling is accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'as it is crowded it will be not easy' (which lacks a conjunction or punctuation) and 'the technological advancement made on money that made the cash transactions easy and safe serves more practical' (which is a slightly awkward construction). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and refining complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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.