Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Technology is spreading day by day. I strongly believe that one day people will drop the idea of using cash and they will use e-tranfers method to pay in shops because cards provide safety . However, others think that people will not give up using cash because some people still like traditional method to pay. The following paragraphs explain the reasons and examples.

The main reason why people will use cards while making transactions is that they feel insecure when they carry a lot of cash. Sometimes, individuals need to buy expensive products and pay in full amount such as cars and mobile phones. If they carry all amount in the cash, there are the high chances of stealing the money by thieves. As a result, in such cases they might lose their money and they may become upset. Furthermore, paying through cards or e-transfers is a easy method to carry money. Cards can be carried in just one small purse whereas cash needs to be managed in bigger bags, sometimes, which causes trouble. For example, they might leave the bag into the shops mistakenly and forget to take it back. As a result, cards reduce stress as if they lost it, they can still lock it by using banking apps. Therefore, they can shop without any challenge.

Some individuals prefer to pay in cash particularly older adults. There are a number of steps to follow while inserting card such as selecting checking or saving account and entering pin number on debit machines. They get frustrated while entering the information because they are not familiar with the technology and find traditional method is a easy way to pay in shops. Moreover, sometimes cards do not work due to some technical issues. Holding cash would be helpful when such problems occur. For instance, many workers are usually in a rush in the morning when they go to work. If their cards will not work it would be a trouble for them. In these kinds of situations, they prefer to pay by cash instead.

In conclusion, it seems that all payments may have to be made by cards or using phone because it is a secure method to pay and people do not carry a larger amount in their bags, whereas some people still prefer to pay by cash since it is a simple way to make a payment and in rush hours if cards won't work then amount can be paid in paper money.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear: you believe cash use will eventually decline because electronic payments feel safer, while some people will resist because cash is familiar and cards can fail. You address both parts of the question and support your points with relevant examples, including carrying money to buy expensive items and older adults finding card machines unfamiliar. The explanation of security is extended, although the claim that cash requires “bigger bags” is less convincing and could be replaced with a more realistic benefit of digital payments. Your discussion of why people may resist cashless shopping is relevant, but the example of workers in a rush could explain more clearly how a card failure affects them. More precise, fully developed support would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs explaining the advantages of cards and reasons to retain cash, and a conclusion that restates your position. Ideas generally progress logically, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “Moreover,” and “For instance” help readers follow the argument. However, some connections feel mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “As a result” and “Therefore.” A few references are also unclear: “they can still lock it” follows a reference to cards, but “it” could mean the card or the account. The conclusion repeats several points rather than synthesising them. To improve, vary linking methods and make pronoun references and relationships between examples more explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “transactions,” “technical issues,” “traditional method,” and “banking apps.” These choices make the main ideas understandable, and you attempt some topic-specific language. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “e-tranfers method,” “pay in full amount,” “the high chances of stealing the money,” and “a trouble.” There is also a spelling error in “e-tranfers,” and phrases such as “larger amount in their bags” are imprecise. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit the naturalness and precision of the writing. Build accuracy by learning common word partnerships for payments, security, and inconvenience, and check spelling and article use in revised drafts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including conditional clauses such as “If they carry all amount in the cash…” and relative clauses such as “which causes trouble.” The meaning is generally clear, and you attempt to explain causes and consequences in varied sentence patterns. Some grammatical errors remain, however. Examples include “a easy method” and “a easy way,” where the article should agree with the following vowel sound, and “If their cards will not work,” where the future form is not appropriate in this conditional. There are also problems with articles and number in “all amount” and “the high chances,” as well as punctuation spacing before the full stop after “safety.” Review articles, conditional structures, and singular/plural forms, then proofread for sentence-level accuracy.

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