Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-13
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 several countries, people are paying for cellphone apps that are becoming common nowadays. I believe that this development has more merits but also has some demerits. I will discuss both developments in the upcoming paragraphs.
On one hand, there are various pros of paying for some applications. First, paying for the learning apps such as BYJU'S, Duolingo and so on is beneficial for the children to get more knowledge about their topics and they can also learn new languages form the Duolingo app. For instance, if children do not understand any topic in the class or sometimes they miss the class, then they can easily gain information from the youtube, Google, and BYJU' app which helps them to get good grades in their exams. Second, some paid apps such as Front that is designed for the customer operation services which help the companies to manage customer service for collaboration.
On the other hand, there are also some drawbacks for paying for apps in mobilephones. This is a waste of money because in some apps such as Snapchat, there is a paid subscription for unlocking the new features and filters. People spend their money on such things without even thinking. These types of subscriptions are not helpful for them to get any type of knowledge.
In a nutshell, although there are a plethora of benefits of using paid apps for getting knowledge regarding studies, businesses or learning new languages but its cons cannot be overlooked.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of paid mobile phone applications, though the interpretation of the prompt ('paying for things using mobile phone apps') slightly misdirects into paying for subscriptions and in-app educational tools rather than general mobile payments (like Apple Pay or digital wallets). A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. However, ideas are somewhat under-developed, and the response suffers from a penalisation because the official length check confirms the word count is 245 words, falling short of the 250-word minimum requirement. Despite this, the main parts of the prompt are addressed with relevant examples such as Duolingo and Snapchat.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay displays a logical overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides of the issue, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In a nutshell,' though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct points, such as educational apps versus customer service tools and entertainment subscriptions. Referencing is mostly clear, though some grouping of ideas within paragraphs could be structured with greater precision to enhance overall progression.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'plethora,' 'subscription,' and 'collaboration.' However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as writing 'paying for cellphone apps that are becoming common nowadays' instead of focusing on mobile payment methods, and using phrases like 'customer operation services' instead of 'customer operations.' Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, placing the response solidly in the band 6 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures ('if children do not understand...') and relative clauses. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, such as 'there are various pros of paying for some applications' and 'drawbacks for paying for apps in mobilephones' (where prepositions are misused). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors occur frequently, they rarely impede the overall communication of ideas.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.