Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In the future, people may no longer be able to pay for things in shops using cash. All payments may have to be made by card or using phones. Do you think this will happen one day? Why do you think some people might not be happy to give up using cash?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

It is widely belived that in future all payements in upcoming times would be made by online methods like by cards or mobile phones for shopping or other purposes in shops.I would argue that it will be foremost in future because modren lifestyle has chamged everything.In this essay I would discuss whether it would be possible or not in upcoming times.

I have this view that majority of people have online bank account system due to the their perfossional life.What I mean by this is that people do not have enough time to go banks for their transactions owing to the hectich routine of their jobs.For example,after coming back from their office they have to go to markets they would not prefer to go bank for getting cash.Therefore,they have online account from which they do payments after shopping.

on the other hand, there is a group who do not prefer online payment system because they do not have any sense to utilize this system.This is mainly because a substantial number of fraud cases have been increasing rapidly and most of them are due to the online account system.For instance, a person who has a experience of being chased in his life by online payment sytem he would always use cash in future instead of cards or mobile phones.Another thing of avoiding online oayment system is that sometimes online payment is not possible due to the technicial faults of shops and this thing really bother the customers.

Taking everything into account,although online system scares some people,it would be adopted permanentaly in future because it saves time and energy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the question: you predict that cashless payments will become widespread, and you explain why some people may resist them, particularly because of fraud and technical failures. Your position is clear in the opening and conclusion. The example of someone who has experienced online fraud supports the second point, while the shopping-and-banking example helps explain the convenience of digital payments. However, the prediction that cash will be permanently replaced is asserted rather than fully justified, and the point about people lacking “sense” to use the system is unclear. Develop these ideas with more precise reasons, such as limited digital access or concerns about privacy, and explain why cash may still remain useful.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting digital payments, a contrasting paragraph about resistance, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “For example,” “on the other hand,” and “Taking everything into account” help signal the direction of the argument. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The opening promises to discuss whether cashless payment is possible, but the essay does not consistently develop that question; the conclusion also introduces “saves time and energy” without bringing the reasoning together. Improve progression by making each paragraph’s main point explicit and linking examples directly to it. Use paragraph breaks and consistent capitalisation, and clarify references such as “this thing” so readers can follow the argument more easily.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “transactions,” “fraud cases,” “technical faults,” and “adopted,” and you attempt some less common expressions such as “substantial number.” However, noticeable spelling errors and inaccurate word choices reduce precision: “belived,” “payements,” “modren,” and “permanentaly” make the writing less polished, while “a person who has a experience of being chased” does not clearly express the intended experience. Some phrases are also unnatural, including “online account system” and “do payments.” Build accuracy by checking spelling and learning common collocations for banking and payment contexts. Prefer precise wording such as “make payments,” “digital banking,” and “experience online fraud.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a reason clause with “because” and a contrast introduced by “although.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the main ideas are generally understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms occur across the response. For example, “due to the their professional life” has an incorrect article pattern, and “a person who has a experience” uses an incorrect article. The sentence beginning “For example, after coming back from their office…” shifts awkwardly between a general situation and “they would not prefer,” while several sentences run together without appropriate punctuation. Practise forming clear subject–verb patterns, using articles consistently, and punctuating longer sentences. These changes would make your complex ideas easier to follow.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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