Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-28

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 7.0)

Throughout the world today it is very common in several nations to pay for goods via mobile phones. This is something that can be seen as both positive and negative.

While the ease of payment is useful I believe the disadvntages including a cashless society and risk of fraud are greater than any advantages.

Firstly, I believe there are some advantages in relation to the development of a cashless society and using mobile phones as a payment method. Undoubtedly this can make life easier as we are less likely to forget our phones given the importance of carrying a mobile phone in today's society. Thus, we are better able to pay for goods we want or need, including those unplanned, for example fuel or food.

Despite the advantages, I think there are more disadvantages. This development continues to form a cashless society which costs many local businesses a lot of income as they are forced to pay non-cash transaction fees. An example is a cafe that is required to pay Mastercard fees when they accept a payment method other than cash. Consequently, this cafe will make less profit. Moreover, the risk of fraud is increased as if a person misplaces their phone and it is found by someone else it can easily be used to pay for another person's goods or to transfer funds against the phone owners wish.

To conclude, paying for goods virtually is now a very common trend across many countries today. Whilst there are benefits to this including flexibility and being able to reactively meet needs, the risk of fraud and the cost implemeneted on local businesses is greater than any positives. Therefore, I believe there are more disadvantages overall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction—fraud and costs to businesses outweigh the convenience—and it remains consistent in the conclusion. You address both sides and support your view with relevant examples, such as using a phone to pay for fuel or food and a café paying card-processing fees. The explanation of fraud also gives a plausible consequence of losing a phone. This fits the descriptor because the main ideas are extended and supported. To strengthen the response further, develop the business-cost point with more precision: explain how fees affect small businesses or consumers, and avoid presenting the impact as universal. The advantage paragraph could also distinguish the convenience of phone payments from the broader idea of a cashless society.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall progression: an introduction states your view, the body paragraphs consider advantages and disadvantages, and the conclusion restates your judgement. Paragraphing is appropriate, and linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Despite the advantages,” “Moreover,” and “To conclude” help readers follow the argument. The contrast between the two sides is easy to understand. To make the organisation more polished, ensure each paragraph develops one central point: the first body paragraph introduces “the development of a cashless society” as an advantage, although the later discussion treats it as a disadvantage. A clearer topic sentence focused on convenience would resolve this tension. Some transitions are also quite formulaic; use referencing and links between ideas more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of topic vocabulary, including “cashless society,” “transaction fees,” “risk of fraud,” “transfer funds,” and “flexibility.” These choices communicate the argument clearly, and some phrases show awareness of formal essay style. The range is adequate and occasionally precise, but several expressions are awkward or imprecise, which keeps the vocabulary from being consistently flexible. For example, “costs many local businesses a lot of income” does not express the intended financial burden naturally, and “reactively meet needs” is an unusual collocation. There are also spelling errors in “disadvntages” and “implemeneted.” Review spelling carefully and choose more idiomatic combinations, such as “incur transaction fees” and “meet immediate needs.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You use a good mix of simple and complex structures, including the concession “While the ease of payment is useful…” and the conditional clause “if a person misplaces their phone…”. Many sentences are accurate and easy to follow, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. A few grammatical issues remain. In “the risk of fraud is increased as if a person misplaces their phone,” the linking structure is awkward; separate the cause and condition more clearly. “Against the phone owners wish” needs a possessive form, and “the cost implemented on local businesses” has an unclear grammatical construction. Aim to maintain the same variety while checking clause connections, possessives, and sentence phrasing during revision.

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