Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-09

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 this technological era, paying online rather than paying through cash during shopping became increasingly common these days. This trend is a positive development, and it has more benefits than drawbacks. This essay will discuss both.

One of the main advantages of using digital money is convenience. People find paying online more convenient than carrying cash. People can carry their cards, and make payments with that. It is more easy, quick, and can be made anywhere. Plus, they do not need to carry a wallet full of money, and they do not need to worry about the exact change. For example, In Canada, people like to pay online because they want to get rid of carrying cash amount.

Furthermore, safety is also a big advantage of using digital currency. People do not need to worry about money being stolen because they have money in their banks instead of in the pockets. If thief try to steal money from their banks, cardholders have option to block the cards. As a result, their money is more safe in the bank from their pockets.

Despite its advantages, its disadvantages cannot be overlooked. These days, cyber crime is on its peak. Thieves send fake emails and text messages to collect personal information, which they may use to steal money from their banks. Governments should organize awareness campaign to aware people regarding the online frauds. By providing knowledge about cyber crimes this drawback can be mitigated to some extend.

To conclude, although online frauds is a main demerit of digital money, it provide convenience and safety to people while shopping. Governments should teach people about the online frauds, and so people can enjoy real benefits of paperless money. Therefore, digital currency has more merits than demerits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, covering convenience and safety as benefits, and cybercrime as a drawback. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding Canada is quite general and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations or specific real-world examples to support your arguments. The conclusion effectively summarizes your position, but the overall development remains somewhat superficial throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'One of the main advantages', 'Furthermore', 'Despite its advantages', and 'To conclude' to transition between ideas. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For example, the sentences in the second paragraph are short and repetitive in structure. To improve, try to vary your linking words and use more sophisticated referencing (e.g., using pronouns or relative clauses) to connect sentences more fluidly rather than relying on simple conjunctions.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'digital currency', 'cyber crime', and 'mitigated'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'on its peak' (should be 'at its peak') and 'aware people' (should be 'make people aware'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more academic synonyms for common words like 'big' or 'easy'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'If thief try' (should be 'If thieves try'), 'money is more safe' (should be 'safer'), and 'it provide' (should be 'it provides'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent. To achieve a higher score, you need to increase the frequency of error-free sentences and ensure that your complex structures are grammatically accurate.

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