Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Task 2.

Debate exists over whether paying by mobile phones is a beneficial or a limitation, as it is gaing popularity in many nations. This essay attempts to elucidate both perks and drawbacks of this trend with justified examples.

Convinence and speed are the foremost plus of this approach. Since people can make payments quickly and easily using their smartphones, they do not need to carry cash or cards. Consequently, it saves time and makes everyday transactions more convenient. Essay to track spendings is another significant advantage. For instance, digital payment platforms keep a record of transactions, making it easier for users to track their spending and manage their finances.

Security risks represents one major concern associated with approach. To clarify, smartphone applications store personal and financial information, hackers may steal sensitive data or access user's bank details which therefore create privacy treat. Technical problems are another possible drawback. To exemplify, if the phone battery dies or the internet connection is unavailable, people may be unable to complete their payments. Thus, it creates an issue for the user to make instant payment.

In conclusion, although electronic payments provides ease of use, rapidity and allows individuals to keep an eye on expenses, however, downsides such as privacy concerns and technical difficulties should not be ignored.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the main points—convenience, expense tracking, security, and technical issues—are relevant, they are not fully developed. The position is clear, but the lack of length prevents a more thorough exploration of the topic, resulting in a response that feels incomplete. To improve, you should expand on your examples and provide more detailed explanations for each point to meet the word count requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'consequently,' 'for instance,' and 'to exemplify' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and the concluding sentence contains a redundant use of 'although' and 'however,' which disrupts the grammatical flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the overall progression is somewhat limited by the brevity of the text. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used correctly will enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be communicated clearly. You use some relevant topic-specific terms like 'digital payment platforms' and 'sensitive data.' However, there are several spelling errors ('gaing' for gaining, 'Convinence' for convenience) and minor word choice issues ('privacy treat' instead of 'privacy threat'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and ensure accurate spelling of key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Security risks represents,' 'electronic payments provides') and missing articles. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'it creates an issue for the user to make instant payment.' While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall fluency. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for basic grammatical slips will help improve your score.

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