Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

In recent years there has been unprecedented growth of using mobile phones, and it has not been affordable for public due to paying money for receiving subscription for apps. While this trend has significant positive affects for earning money without working hard and accessibilities of new technology, there are negative effects such as it increased unnecessary expenditure, and time consuming access.

In positive side, there are numerous distinct advantages associated with paying money for the apps. Firstly, people could earn money without having an employment, which can become a source of income to feed their family; consequently, unemployment ration could be reduced. For example, for getting Chat-Gpt subscription people need to purchase at cost of $30 per month; resulting maker of this app earn more and more if it become popular among individuals. Secondly, most likely paying apps offer access of integral files, documents or knowledge that people can learn at their own comfort zone without commuting anywhere, which would be ultimately an cheaper option then spending money on institutions.

Despite having these aforementioned benefits, there are several notable drawbacks that cannot be overlooked. The chief detrimental effect would be unproportional expenditure on the apps without having necessity that creates waste of money; hence, it makes people broke and create financial stress. Furthermore, in contemporary era after getting subscription for the gaming app such as Mario and PUBG that creates detrimental effects on kids physical health. To say this, kids spend more likely to spend their leisure time on playing games on phones , and it creates them deterrent to play outdoor games; resulting, they could become couch potato and might this leads to obesity.

To conclude, although paying for getting access for the app on phones has substantial benefits for the employment and acquiring knowledge purpose, the detrimental effect on financial burden and kids physical health ultimately concerning factor for the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages of mobile payment apps. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding 'earning money without working hard' is unclear and lacks logical support, as paying for a subscription does not inherently generate income for the user. While the essay covers the requirements, the explanation of the advantages is less convincing than the disadvantages. The position is clear, but the supporting examples, such as the mention of ChatGPT, are not fully integrated into a coherent argument about the financial implications of mobile payments. To improve, ensure that each point directly answers the 'why' and 'how' of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Despite', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'To say this' when introducing an explanation. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion, which helps maintain the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'unprecedented', 'detrimental', and 'unproportional', though some collocations are inaccurate, such as 'unproportional expenditure' instead of 'disproportionate' or 'excessive'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'positive affects' (should be 'effects') and 'unemployment ration' (should be 'rate'). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning, the lack of precision in word choice limits the score to the 6.0 band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the' missing before 'public', 'the' before 'gaming app'), preposition usage, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'it creates them deterrent'). Some sentences are clunky, such as 'it has not been affordable for public due to paying money for receiving subscription'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over complex structures. More attention to basic grammar and sentence construction is needed to reach a higher band.

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