Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-04
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)
It is a fact that mobile apps are becoming increasingly common. To begin with, this development has more advantages than disadvantages. You don't have to go anywhere to make any transaction. You can easily do the transactions. You don't need to carry any bag or wallet for the card or cash.
Moreover, in my experience one of my colleagues was once travelling to United Kingdom from Pakistan. She has all her cash and cards in her wallet. That was a long time ago and she didn't know abouts these mobile apps. So, while travelling, a mishap happened and she lost her wallet. She was travelling to UK for the first time and didn't know anyone there. Then she called her family in Pakistan for the help. Her family guided her about the apps and sent her the money.
Although, scams also happen in these apps, but now a lot of privacy has been given. You can enable the face lock or fingerprint, so that only you can use the app. Old people may feel difficulty while using these apps because they don't know how to operate them. Their eyesight could be affected by the excessive use of mobile phones, so it can be considered as a disadvantage.
In Conclusion, everything has its pros and cons, and mobile phones are easy to carry, and we can install as many apps as we want and do the payments wherever we want without carrying a lot of cash. Therefore, this development has more advantages than disadvantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, ultimately taking a clear position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The anecdote about the colleague is relevant but takes up a significant portion of the essay without fully exploring the broader implications of mobile payments. The points regarding security and the elderly are mentioned but could be expanded with more depth or analysis to reach a higher band. The response is balanced, but the arguments remain at a somewhat superficial level, lacking the detailed support required for a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'Although', and 'In Conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the jump from the anecdote to the discussion of security features is a bit sudden. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and better referencing to connect ideas more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. The student relies on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'make any transaction', 'do the transactions', and 'mobile apps'. There is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated vocabulary. While the meaning is clear throughout, the lexical range is limited to basic, everyday language. To improve, the student should incorporate more topic-specific terminology related to digital finance and technology, and avoid repeating the same words in close proximity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'She has all her cash' (should be 'had'), 'didn't know abouts these' (should be 'about'), and 'for the help' (unnecessary article). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The student should focus on verb tense consistency and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.
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