Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-19

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)

Undoubtedly, with advances in technology the way people do financial transactions has changed significantly. In the contemporary era, it has been noted that modes of payment for goods and services have switched to electronically instead of paying through cash. The merits of this trend outweighs the demerits owing to the convenience it provides.

To commence with, there are several benefits of why transactions are being done electronically. The prominent one is that it is safer and easy to carry. People do not need to carry cash with them all the time and carrying a phone with reliable internet makes it very feasible to purchase any products. Apart from this, all the transactions processed online can be tracked. To explain, people are able to plan their budget according to the monthly spendings which allows them not to overspend or go out of budget. Therefore, digital financial transactions not only saves time but also helps individuals to track their spendings.

However, there are few disadvantages to this trend. One major reason is that the number of online frauds has been increasing day by day. This is because scammers can easily access the payment details or phone, which can potentially increase the risk of money being stolen. Consequently, people can suffer through major financial losses. In addition, it creates dependence on the phone. To make any transaction we will require a cellphone with reliable internet, if due to any reason the phone battery dies or the internet is not working while shopping. That can create issues for the individuals in such situations.

In conclusion, although paying through mobile phone apps can expose users to online fraud and make them dependent on technology, I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The convenience of making quick payments and the ability to track transactions make digital payments a practical and efficient option for everyday purchases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mobile payment apps and clearly stating your position that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Your ideas are relevant and logically developed, particularly the points regarding convenience, budget tracking, and security risks. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are more specific; for instance, instead of general statements about 'scammers,' you could briefly mention a common type of phishing or data breach. Overall, your position is consistent throughout the essay, and the task is fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To commence with,' 'Apart from this,' and 'Consequently' to link your ideas effectively. The progression of arguments is logical, moving from the benefits to the drawbacks and then to your final verdict. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. To improve, ensure that your referencing is always precise; for example, in the second paragraph, the transition between 'reliable internet' and 'purchase any products' could be smoother to avoid slight repetition in sentence structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'financial transactions,' 'digital financial transactions,' and 'online frauds' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'switched to electronically' (should be 'switched to electronic methods') and 'suffer through major financial losses' (should be 'suffer major financial losses'). To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items to show greater flexibility in your writing style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'there are several benefits of why' (should be 'there are several reasons why') and 'digital financial transactions not only saves time' (should be 'save time' to agree with the plural subject). Additionally, the sentence 'if due to any reason the phone battery dies...' is a sentence fragment that should be connected to the following clause. Despite these errors, your meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not impede communication.

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