Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-07

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)

Payment modes are changing rapidly from cash to card system or didgital system, where you just swipe a card with the machine or electronically stored card in the mobile to pay the bills in shops and supermarkets.

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. Yes I believe that this will happen one day. Every passing day, world is changing in all aspects of life. Few years back, most of the payments were through cash, but with the development in technology, payment process has been changed from cash. Still cash payment exsists in several places but most of the famous and big outlets are not accepting cash payments. They accept only card payment. Many outlets are using barcodes to pay the bills. People think that card payment is easy and more secure compared to cash payment, where there is a risk of steeling money while carying cash. Some time life threats are created while carying cash, especially in the towns, where snatchers and mafias operate. Keeping in my mind all these aspects, people will use card and mobiles for payment instead of cash in future.

Some people do not like to pay through cards and mobiles. They believe that cards and mobiles are not secured for payment, one small error in the system might disappear all your money and by using cards, you are providing your financial informations to others. Such kind of people might not be happy to give up using cash.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear answer to both questions: you predict that cash will eventually be replaced and explain that some people distrust card and mobile payments because of security and privacy concerns. The examples of cashless outlets and the risk of carrying cash are relevant, but the reasons are mostly asserted rather than developed; for instance, explain how a system error could affect someone or why sharing financial information worries them. The response also falls short of the required minimum: it contains 225 words, and the 39 words copied from the prompt are not counted. This limits the development of your position and supporting ideas. Add a fuller explanation and a specific example to address the task more completely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting your prediction, and a final paragraph about resistance to cashless payments. This helps the reader identify the two parts of your answer. However, progression within the main paragraph is not always clear: the discussion moves from technological change to outlet policies, convenience, theft, and then your conclusion without fully linking these points. Connect each reason explicitly to your prediction, and develop the final paragraph beyond its brief statement. Some linking phrases, such as “Every passing day” and “Keeping in my mind all these aspects,” sound formulaic or do not clearly show the relationship between ideas. More precise transitions and clearer referencing would make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “payment process,” “financial informations,” “secure,” and “snatchers,” and the reader can generally understand your meaning. There is some variety in how you describe payment methods and concerns. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, such as “didgital,” “steeling,” and “carying,” while phrases such as “famous and big outlets” and “life threats are created” are not natural in this context. “Financial informations” also uses an uncountable noun incorrectly. Aim for more accurate collocations and check spelling carefully. A broader set of precise terms for payment security, privacy, and access would help you express the ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “the towns, where snatchers and mafias operate” and a conditional structure in “one small error in the system might disappear all your money.” These attempts show some range, and the overall meaning is usually understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms recur. For example, “payment process has been changed” needs a more suitable tense and construction, and “one small error … might disappear all your money” does not form the intended relationship between the error and the money. The opening sentence is also long and awkwardly structured. Practise building clear clauses, especially when explaining cause and effect, and review articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries.

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