Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-01

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 7.0)

Over the years, the trend of digital payment has attained a huge popularity among people. While, in terms of quick transactions and a secure mode of payment, some people consider this development as lucrative, however, others opine this by considering it the driver of increasing fraud and a threat to confidential information. I believe benefits of e-payment outweigh its demerits which I will explain in following paragraphs.

on the one side, people, nowadays, do not need to carry cash with them unlike previous decade when mobile pay applications were not in existence. In other words, there is relatively less risk of losing cash while shopping. Also, it has become more convenient for customers to track the purchases and have a control on their planned budget as they can retrieve the history of purchases in the specific mobile payment application. What is more, the trend of keeping everything digital will bring more transparency in any nation's economics and will assist the government to make financial policies accordingly. For example, to analyze the purchasing habits of its residents, a country's government can take help of these applications.

On the other hand, some people criticize the use of electronic payment since it comes with a risk of leaking personal information. Usage of such applications often requires personal details such as account number, personal identification number, which if misused can bring significant risk for user. Moreover, rising digital sources also give birth to many fraudulent practices. Incident of cyber crime in India, for example, have rocketed to an alarming number, as mentioned in a recent survey.

To conclude, I believe that pros of electronic payment are far more than its cons, provided if used carefully. However, its demerits can not be ignored at any cost. There should be more law enforced to prevent frauds. Also, by adding more steps of authentication, these applications can be made more trustworthy and reliable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the benefits of mobile payments outweigh the drawbacks. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the points regarding convenience and financial transparency. However, the development of the counter-argument regarding security risks is slightly less detailed than the advantages. The conclusion provides a balanced summary and suggests practical solutions, which strengthens the overall task response. To reach a higher band, ensure that the counter-arguments are explored with the same depth as the main arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the advantages and disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one side', 'In other words', 'What is more', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are some minor issues with flow, such as the awkward phrasing in the opening sentence ('While... however') and some slightly mechanical transitions. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some good topic-specific collocations like 'digital payment', 'quick transactions', and 'fraudulent practices'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices are slightly imprecise or awkward, such as 'attained a huge popularity' (should be 'gained popularity') and 'take help of' (should be 'utilize' or 'leverage'). Despite these minor inaccuracies, the range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly and with some flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the majority of sentences are error-free, there are some persistent grammatical slips, such as 'Incident of cyber crime... have rocketed' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'provided if used' (redundant). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some minor errors in comma usage. The grammatical control is sufficient to ensure that communication is never impeded, but more consistent accuracy in complex structures would be required for a higher band.

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