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)

In the upcoming era, all payment will be done with card rather than cash. In my opinion, I believe it can be happen. There are different reason why people will not feel pleasent by using their card for all payments.

To commence with, Using cards or phone is more safer and comfortable as compare to cash. In other words, People can add their cards in their phone , so they dont need to use any kind of wallet. it will help them to protect their money from theft. In addition , People dont need to waste their time in order to count their money. Therefore, it will not only save their time , also provide safety.They can esaily check their balance in there personal bank account. Furthermore, Online banks are providing credit card , where people can use it when they need more money and they can payback it to the card. As a result, they can build strong credit score which would help to buy expensive products at installments.

In contast, Older people like to use cash because some people might not be comfortable to use their phone.Firstly, cybercrime has become the biggest for distinct people. For instance, Google company reported that , 10% websites are hacked by hacker and they are using it for their different purposes. Hence, people can not rely on the online banking until they do not build up their trust with bank.

In conclusion, Although online banking will be helpful to protect their money , cybercrime will become the biggest issur for some people who dont have enough knowledge to use their app.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the prompt: you predict that card and phone payments may replace cash, and explain why some people—especially older people—may resist this change. Your position is apparent, and the points about convenience, theft, and cybercrime are relevant. However, the prediction is asserted rather than fully explained: the opening says cash will disappear, but the body mainly lists advantages of digital payments. The reasons for reluctance are also less fully developed than the benefits; for example, you mention older people’s discomfort and online crime but do not explain other practical concerns or give a personal example. Develop each main point with a clear explanation or specific illustration to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure, with an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “To commence with,” “In contrast,” and “As a result” help signal relationships between ideas. However, some transitions are mechanical or do not accurately describe the paragraph’s purpose: “In contrast” introduces concerns about digital payments, but the preceding paragraph does not clearly establish a balanced comparison. The first body paragraph also moves quickly from convenience to credit scores and instalments, which weakens progression. Some references, such as “it” and “they,” are not always immediately clear. Group related points more tightly and use transitions that show the precise relationship between them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “online banking,” “cybercrime,” “credit score,” and “installments,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at less common phrasing, such as “build up their trust,” though some combinations are unnatural or imprecise. Spelling and word-choice errors—including “pleasent,” “esaily,” “contast,” and “issur”—are noticeable, and phrases such as “more safer” and “distinct people” reduce naturalness. These errors generally leave the main message understandable, but they limit precision and fluency. Focus on accurate spelling and common collocations for this topic, and choose words that express the intended meaning directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional idea (“when they need more money”) and a concession in the conclusion (“Although online banking…”). The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but grammatical control is uneven. Examples include “it can be happen,” “all payment will be done,” and “people can not rely … until they do not build up,” where verb forms, agreement, or clause construction need correction. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “it will not only save their time , also provide safety.” These issues make some sentences awkward to follow. Practise accurate verb patterns and agreement, and check that each sentence has a complete, correctly connected structure.

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

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