Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-08

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)

I strongly believe that in near future, people would switch over the mode of payment through card or using celephones over bill. Usually it is easy to make a purchase via card as it is easy to carry then paper bills .Sometimes people run out with exact amount of change in their purse and need to run around for the change which leads to frustration and waste of time.However, electronic wallets make it more feasible to pay without any rush or irritation. Now a days every transcation is done by credit card as people might not have the money to buy groceries or basic amenities thus the card gives the benefit to pay the bill on later day and thus creates an advantage of having a card with you.

Moreover, there are few people who are unlikely to adapt the change of modernization and still prefer cash as the safest means of payment. As it is more reliable then the e- card. For example there are a people who are not tech savy and they are blindly rely on cash transaction then e-mode og payment , people who are uneducated finds it hard to comply with card or using thier phones because for them paper bills are the best mode of dealing with each other.

Thus, I firmly believe people might be unhappy to give up on cash.However, with time every individual has to update themselve's with the change of modernization.

To conclude, in short span of time cash would be replace my card and many of us will be using our cellphones to tap for every purchase in the market just to make our needs easy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the prompt: you predict a move towards card and phone payments, and explain why some people may prefer cash, including limited familiarity with technology and a sense that cash is safer. Your position is clear in phrases such as “I strongly believe” and “people might be unhappy to give up on cash.” The point about cards helping people who lack money for groceries is relevant, but it needs clearer explanation and is not directly tied to whether cash will disappear. The reasons older or less tech-confident people may resist change are also asserted rather than illustrated in depth. Develop each main reason with a specific example and clarify whether you expect cash to disappear entirely or simply become less common.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has an overall structure: the first paragraph predicts increased electronic payment, the second discusses resistance to change, and the final paragraph restates the prediction. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “For example,” and “To conclude” help signal these stages. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the discussion moves from convenience to borrowing on a card without explaining the connection, and the conclusion introduces “in short span of time” without reconciling this with the idea that people must adapt over time. Some transitions feel mechanical, and punctuation spacing makes sentence boundaries harder to follow. Use clearer topic sentences, connect each example explicitly to its claim, and make the conclusion summarise both sides of your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of payment-related vocabulary, including “electronic wallets,” “credit card,” “cash transaction,” and “mode of payment,” so the topic is generally clear. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “adapt the change of modernization,” but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural and reduce precision. Examples include “celephones,” “run out with exact amount of change,” “e-mode of payment,” and “tap for every purchase.” Spelling errors such as “transcation,” “thier,” and “savy” also affect the impression of control. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully; precise phrases such as “cashless payments” and “rely on cash” would express your ideas more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including a reason clause beginning “because” and a sentence introduced by “For example.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but grammatical control is uneven, particularly in longer constructions. For instance, “people would switch over the mode of payment” has an awkward verb pattern, while “there are a people who” and “people who are uneducated finds it hard” show problems with articles and subject–verb agreement. Articles and prepositions are also inconsistent, as in “in near future” and “on later day.” Punctuation sometimes joins sentences without a space or clear boundary. Practise building accurate sentences with one main idea, then add subordinate clauses only when their structure is secure.

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