Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-21

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)

Nowadays, making payments using mobile phone applications is becoming increasingly common. Payment through these type of methods is easy, convenient and time-efficient. This essay will discuss different views and explain why I believe this trend has more advantages than disadvantages.

In an era marked by advancing technology, it is hardly surprising that people are becoming reliant on it. These applications are reliable which either use bank transfer methods or platforms like digital wallets. It reduces the stress to carry cash and keep it safe. Paperless transactions have also reduced the need for paper money, which saves paper, labour for manual printing and its storage. Online purchase through these applications can be made anywhere at any time without any hassle. Moreover, lastest trends include payments via crytocurrency like bitcoins which offeres fast global transfers.

On the other hand, online transactions can have potential disadvantages like scams and frauds. For example, a pincode or personal piece of information shared on a phone call can steal your money by hacking the account. These frauds are becoming more common and requires a strict action by cyber security as well as public awareness. Although some people feel hesitant due to security issues, the majority rely on online transactions which canpay the bills instantly. Also, many banking systems have strengthened their security gateways by two-factor authentication system.

In conclusion, while both perspectives hold merit, I believe that paying for things by using online resources is becoming extremely popular due to its convenience and time-saving methods. It is important to progress with advancing technology and adopt new methods which are being used worldwide.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, covering convenience and environmental benefits in the first body paragraph and security risks in the second. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the mention of 'cryptocurrency' is a bit tangential and not fully integrated into the argument about mobile apps. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations or concrete examples to support your points, rather than listing them in quick succession. The conclusion effectively summarizes your stance, maintaining a clear position throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the transition from discussing paperless transactions to cryptocurrency in the second paragraph is slightly abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'time-efficient', 'paperless transactions', and 'two-factor authentication'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'lastest' instead of 'latest', 'crytocurrency' instead of 'cryptocurrency', and 'offeres' instead of 'offers'. Additionally, some word choices are slightly imprecise, such as 'reduce the stress to carry cash' (better: 'reduces the need to carry cash'). While you attempt some less common vocabulary, these occasional errors and slight inaccuracies in collocation prevent the score from being higher. Expanding your range of precise academic collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show control over basic grammar, but there are several recurring errors. For example, 'these type of methods' should be 'these types of methods' or 'this type of method'. There is also a subject-verb agreement error in 'These frauds... requires a strict action' (should be 'require'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and pluralization, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater accuracy.

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