Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-02

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 6.5)

It has become increasingly common for people to do payments through online apps in the majority of countries. Although this development has both merits and demerits, I believe its benefits are significantly far more if mobile phone payment applications are used with precautions.

One main advantage of paying for things using cellphone apps because of their convenience. Nowadays everyone is using smartphones, so they can download payment apps easily on their cellphones, such as PayPal, Google Pay and online banking. These apps made people's life much more convenient as they can buy goods without carrying money anytime and anywhere.

Another benefit of using mobile payment apps is that people do not need to carry a considerable amount of money with them. Online payment is widely accepted, so people can pay for things through mobile apps instead of carrying paper money along with them. Due to which, there are very rare chances to lose money.

However, despite having number of advantages of digital payment system, it is not free from risk. Sometimes, due to these apps people lost their large sum of money from their bank accounts if either they trap in scam or click on any fake links. If these risks are eliminated with excellent security system and awareness is spread among users time to time, individuals can use online payment apps without any worries.

In conclusion, while online payment system is quite beneficial because it not only makes the life of people convenient but also reduces the burden of carrying a lot of paper money, but its risk can not be ignored. The challenges can be mitigated with proper security system and awareness programs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mobile payment apps and clearly stating your position. The ideas are relevant, such as convenience and security concerns. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention that apps are convenient, you could have expanded on how this impacts daily efficiency or economic habits. The conclusion is clear, but the overall argument could be strengthened by providing a more specific example or a deeper analysis of the 'scam' risks mentioned. You have successfully maintained a clear position throughout the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use basic cohesive devices like 'One main advantage', 'Another benefit', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or grammatically awkward, such as 'Due to which, there are very rare chances to lose money.' The flow between sentences is generally clear, but the use of cohesive devices could be more varied and sophisticated to reach a higher band. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages from the disadvantages.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'demerits', 'mitigated', and 'digital payment system'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'do payments' should be 'make payments', and 'if either they trap in scam' is unnatural phrasing. You rely on some repetitive vocabulary, such as 'convenient' and 'apps'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and idiomatic expressions related to financial technology to show greater flexibility and control over your lexical choices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'paying for things using cellphone apps because of their convenience' (a sentence fragment), 'these apps made people's life' (tense error), and 'if either they trap in scam' (passive voice error). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor issues with sentence construction. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are grammatically complete.

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