Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-22
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 5.5)
In today's era, payment via cellphoe apps is increasing at a very rapid pace. This essay intends to discussed the advantages and disadvantages of this in today's society.
Firstly, I would like to share few positive sides of payment through cellphone apps. By paying through smartphone apps allows user not to carry cash all the time. Moreover, the user can shop online at any time of the day by using such application services. For instance, paying via apple pay is very common nowadays, as this platform provides convenience to the user.
In contrast, there are many detriments as well. By paying through online applications, it provides the insecurity to the user as sometimes payments got stuck and not processes properly. For example, payment got delay because of the poor network connection. Furthermore, the user's are facing frauds through these platforms. For site an example, deduction of payment automatically without using any services.
To conclude, the smartphone applications provides the convenience to the user's but also increase the risk of fraud.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 170 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, as the arguments provided are brief and lack sufficient depth or illustrative examples. While the essay addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, the lack of length prevents a full development of the position. To improve, you must expand on your points by explaining the 'why' and 'how' behind your arguments, ensuring each paragraph provides a comprehensive analysis rather than just a list of points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which is a positive feature. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'In contrast', and 'To conclude' to signal the structure. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the transition between the benefits and risks is abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the logical flow between sentences is more sophisticated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You use words like 'convenience' and 'payment' multiple times. There are also some errors in word choice and form, such as 'provides the insecurity' (which is unnatural) and 'For site an example' (which should be 'To cite an example'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations. Avoid repetitive phrasing and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'By paying through smartphone apps allows user' (incorrect subject-verb structure), 'the user's are facing' (incorrect pluralization), and 'payment got delay' (incorrect verb tense/form). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that your verb tenses are consistent throughout the essay.
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.