Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-28

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 various countries today, the use of mobile phone apps in making electronic payment has become more popular. In this essay, I will be discussing the advantages of using mobile phones in making payments.

Mobile phones are being used frequently in completing electronic transactions in different countries thereby driving technological advancement. The race by various technological firms in developing the most up to date technology have positively affected the ecommerce industry by reducing the need of physical credit and debit card. This has significantly reduced fraud and theft practices as misplaced or lost debit and credit cards have significantly reduced. Customers now have better protection in safe guarding the money stored banks. This technological advancement has also improved the use of multiple bank account. Although a customer can use as many banking firms as they need to, they do not have to face the risk of carrying multiple bank documents to make payment as these can be done through mobile apps.

Using mobile phone apps in completing payments improves customer spending because customers can sit at home and make purchases. This ease in buying goods and services from the comfort of your homes, reduces the need for customers to spend money to transport themselves to different shopping outlet to make payments inturn increasing customer spending because they have an increased budget for spending in making more purchases online.

Many countries are using mobile phones in making electronic payments for good and services, leading to various advantages. Making payments with mobile apps on phones improves technological growth and advancement in safeguarding money and reducing fradulent activities. Making electronic payment also improve customer spending through increased spending budget.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages of mobile phone apps for payments, which satisfies the requirement to consider whether the development has more advantages or disadvantages. However, the introduction states 'I will be discussing the advantages of using mobile phones', which indicates a one-sided approach, whereas a fully balanced discussion would ideally weigh both sides before taking a clear stance. Despite this minor limitation, the ideas presented in the body paragraphs—such as reducing fraud, technological advancement, and improving consumer convenience—are relevant and extended with supporting explanations. For example, the student notes that reducing physical cards leads to diminished fraud and theft practices. The main position is clear throughout, earning a solid Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, two distinct body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'This has significantly reduced', 'Although a customer can use', and 'Many countries are using', which help guide the reader through the text. However, referencing is occasionally repetitive, and some transitional links are a bit mechanical or lack seamless integration, such as the transition into the third paragraph. There is a clear logical progression overall, but the links between sentences could be more varied and flexible. This places the performance firmly at Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'technological advancement', 'ecommerce industry', 'fradulent activities', and 'electronic transactions'. There are, however, several word-choice and collocation errors, as well as spelling mistakes, such as 'fradulent' instead of 'fraudulent', 'inturn' instead of 'in turn', and 'safe guarding' instead of 'safeguarding'. The phrase 'spending budget' is slightly repetitive. While the writer attempts less common vocabulary, inaccuracies in spelling and word formation prevent the lexical score from reaching Band 7.0. Communication is never impeded, making Band 6.0 an accurate assessment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and conditional structures like 'Although a customer can use as many banking firms as they need to, they do not have to face...'. There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement and pluralisation, such as 'the use of multiple bank account' (instead of accounts), 'different shopping outlet' (instead of outlets), and 'good and services' (instead of goods). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors are present, they rarely impede communication, allowing the response to secure a Band 6.0.

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