Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-05

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)

Technological advancement has reched the level where we pay for everything using our mobile phones and don't even need to carry cash nowadays. I completely agree with the fact that this developement has lead to certain advantages and made our lives easier.

To begin with, mobile banking apps are a mean of ease for the users on the daily basis for the transfer of funds from one person to another. A person's need to carry cash or even debit card is not necessary anymore. Any person with a active bank account can make the app by logging in their details. The need to go down to the bank and take the cash out for their needs is now a thing of the past. For instance banking apps are one of the most commonly downloaded application after the social media as they have become a important ean for the transfer of funds.

Paperless transactions are more environmental friendly. They lead to less cutting of trees and more greener environment. In past an individual person's paper trail and carbon footprint was soo high that introducing these banking apps lead to more more conservative approach towards forests. For example, by 2030 a major chunk of transaction would be done using banking apps and there will be very little paper transactions.

To sum up, mobile banking apps is a positive change towards a better future by being user friendly, and paperless transactions leading to very little to zero carbon footprint which in return leads to a more eco-friendly environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main prompt by discussing the advantages of mobile payment apps, specifically focusing on ease of transfer and environmental benefits. However, the position is not always clearly sustained because the prompt asks whether there are more advantages or more disadvantages, and the essay only focuses on advantages without acknowledging the opposing view, which limits the development of the argument. Ideas such as paperless transactions are introduced but remain somewhat limited and under-developed, relying on sweeping generalizations rather than deeper elaboration. To reach the next level, the writer needs to address both sides of the issue more fully, exploring potential drawbacks such as security risks or digital exclusion, and extend their supporting examples with greater depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. The writer uses basic cohesive devices like 'To begin with' and 'To sum up' to structure the text. However, cohesion can feel somewhat mechanical, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun reference in 'making the app by logging in their details'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct points, such as convenience versus environmental impact. While the organization provides a logical flow, transitioning between sentences lacks the sophisticated progression required to cross into higher bands. Integrating a wider variety of cohesive ties and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas will enhance the overall structural flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey basic ideas about mobile transactions and environmental benefits. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'carbon footprint' and 'paperless transactions', but these are accompanied by noticeable spelling errors like 'reched' for reached, 'developement' for development, and 'ean' for mean. Word choice errors also occur, such as describing banking apps as a 'mean of ease' rather than a means of convenience, and 'more greener', which impede precision. To improve, the writer should focus on expanding their range of lexical items, paying closer attention to word forms, collocations, and accurate spelling to minimize errors that distract the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over basic structures. However, the range of structures remains limited, and attempts at complex sentences often contain faulty phrasing or grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'An individual person's paper trail and carbon footprint was soo high', where subject-verb agreement fails and spelling is flawed. Frequent errors in articles, plurals, and prepositions are also present, such as 'an active bank account' and missing articles before nouns. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to reflect a restricted grammatical range and persistent inaccuracy. Incorporating error-free complex sentences and polishing control over grammatical agreements will greatly benefit this area.

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.