Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-29
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 many countries, the use of online transaction for any purchase has been increased recently. Due to this shift, the payment of any things becomes easier as the need of carrying physical cash is not required. However, as it is very accessible to make online paymemt and due to that sometimes people end up utilising more money than required.
The world is moving towards digital age, where nearly everything is online such as buying clothes, grocery shopping or odering food. Due to this shift, the payment gateways of all purchases are also online and it is so easy and conveienant for people to make the payment through thier mobile. In addition to that, nowadays everybody have the smart phone so it becomes conveienant for people to just use an application to make the transaction. Moreover, government also promotes to access online tools which are available because they can also track the expenses of citizens. For instance, In India, the autorities have made such user friendly application, Gpay which is recognised by many coutries all around for making online transcation. I can definitely say that this has many advantages.
On the other hand, there are couple negative aspects also there, because the use of online apps are very easy and sometime people ends using more without doing the necessary calculation and ends up spending more money. The reason for that is like physical cash, the digital amount can not be counted traditionally. Despite this disadvantage if poeple use the application smartly than I believe it has many advantages.
To conclude, I would say the advantages outweigh the disadvantges because in the fast growing world, it is the need of the people to go digital and use AI insrasturture. Further more, that is the reason people use mobile phones more than the cash to make the payments.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of mobile payment apps. You clearly state your position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention convenience and government tracking as advantages, and overspending as a disadvantage, these points could be expanded with more depth or specific analysis. For instance, the discussion on 'AI infrastructure' in the conclusion is vague and does not directly support your previous arguments. To reach a higher band, ensure that each main point is fully explained with clear reasoning and illustrative examples.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition to that', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is interrupted by minor errors in sentence structure. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the final paragraph and the preceding arguments could be tighter. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'transaction', 'digital age', and 'payment gateways'. However, there are several spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'paymemt', 'conveienant', 'thier', 'coutries', 'transcation', and 'insrasturture'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To improve, you should aim to use a wider range of less common lexical items and pay closer attention to spelling accuracy. Using more precise collocations would also help elevate your score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the use of online transaction... has been increased', 'everybody have the smart phone', and 'people ends using more'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall fluency. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and proofreading for common grammatical slips. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures will also help you achieve a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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