Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-09

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 think 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 cards or using mobile phones. I think it will happen one day. In the modern society most of people are using modern technology for paying something because it is most convenient and best solution rather than using money. In my opinion, I think using cards or phone is easier than using cash. Also I think that people may pay bills using only modern technology. But some people might not happy to give up using cash because they do not believe modern technology. They prefer to use old methods and they show some fear for the modern technology.

On the one hand, doing payments using cards or phones have both advantages and disadvantages. People can save their money and time. They do not want to travel with cash because they only need cards and mobile phone. Sometimes cash can be misplace or loose. I think that carrying cash everywhere is a annoying thing. It can decrease our mind relaxation. There are some negative impacts we can see. Some technical issues can occur while doing online payments. If we lost our cards or mobile phone, it can be a major threat because anyone can make payments by using our cards.

On the other hand, making payments by cash is easy for someone who do not use technology. They can easily manage.

In conclusion, using modern technology is better than old methods. We all must adapt for dealing with modern things. In the future, the only payment method will be cards.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear answer that cashless payments will become the only method, and you identify reasons some people may resist, including distrust of technology and difficulty using it. You also include relevant advantages and risks, such as saving time and the possibility of a lost card being misused. However, the response only partly develops the task: the reasons for people’s unhappiness are brief, and the discussion of payment benefits takes up more space than explaining their reluctance. The point that some people “do not believe modern technology” would be stronger with a specific explanation, such as concerns about privacy or fraud. Develop each main reason with an example and keep the focus on both parts of the question.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall structure, with an opening position, body paragraphs and a conclusion. The contrast signalled by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” helps readers recognise different viewpoints. However, progression between ideas is limited: the first body paragraph moves from convenience to lost cash, then to technical problems and card theft without clearly grouping these points. The second body paragraph is very brief and does not explain its claim. Some linking phrases, including repeated “I think” and “Also,” feel mechanical rather than showing precise relationships. Organise the body around distinct reasons, use transitions that clarify cause and contrast, and expand the paragraph about people who prefer cash.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including terms such as “technical issues,” “major threat” and “payment method.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, particularly repeated references to “modern technology” and “old methods.” Some word combinations are unnatural, such as “show some fear for the modern technology” and “decrease our mind relaxation,” which make the intended meaning less clear. There are also word-form or spelling errors, for example “misplace” where a past participle is needed and “loose” for “lose.” Build a more precise range for discussing security, access and convenience, and check collocations and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate your main position using mostly simple sentence patterns, and you attempt some longer structures, such as “because they do not believe modern technology.” However, the range is limited, and errors recur in agreement, articles and verb forms. For example, “doing payments … have” should use a singular verb, “some people might not happy” needs “be,” and “someone who do not use technology” needs subject–verb agreement. Article use is also inaccurate in “a annoying thing.” These errors do not prevent the reader from following the overall argument, but they reduce accuracy. Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb, and add controlled complex sentences to express reasons and consequences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.