Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-26

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)

Technology has changed everyone life and give different perspective to live. In developed countries, using mobile phone apps for payment is trendy. According to my perspective, it has more benefits than drawbacks. It will be discussed further with reasons and examples.

First and the foremost reason to justify my stand is that it makes the process fast and save time. Before few years, we need to deal with the physical money or cash. It was taking a long time to count money and pay. Nowadays, due to advancement of technology, we can easily get done payment within few minutes. For example, with use of smartphones we need to press few buttons only to proceed.

Moreover, it increases safety and security. To explain, before we need to carry cash and physical card with us all the time. It significantly creates insecurity if we need to carry a significant amount. For instance, there were a number of cases about stolen money from the pocket while travelling. Technology helps to decrease these kind of incidents.

However, some others are of the opposite opinion. To begin with, they claim that it can rise threat to privacy. Sometimes, using cellphone apps for paying bills can be disadvantageous. People find a new way to steal information through using technology. To exemplify, there are a lot of cases regarding cyber crime and online fraud. They feel safe to carry cash instead.

In conclusion, I believe that paying for bills using smartphones make the process more convenient and safe compared to past. It can outweigh the disadvantages if utilize with caution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as speed and security, and the counter-argument regarding privacy is also addressed. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'safety and security' is supported by a general example, but it lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your points with more specific, nuanced explanations or real-world examples that demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic, rather than relying on general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First and the foremost', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though there are occasional lapses in flow, such as the transition between the second and third paragraphs. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is smoother by using more sophisticated cohesive ties rather than simple list-like connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on common phrases like 'get done payment' (which is non-standard) and 'a lot of cases'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'advancement of technology' and 'cyber crime', but the overall range is somewhat restricted. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and academic vocabulary. For example, instead of 'get done payment', use 'complete transactions' or 'process payments'. Expanding your range of synonyms and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help you achieve a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'changed everyone life' (should be 'everyone's life'), 'give different perspective to live' (should be 'gives a different perspective on life'), and 'Before few years' (should be 'A few years ago'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and verb agreement. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency of the text. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article placement.

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