Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-27

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 7.0)

Nowadays, due to the advancement in technology, everything is getting digital, and many of the facilities such as bank transactions and payments are being done online through mobile and cards. It has been said that in the nearby future, masses would not be able to pay using cash in shops, and payments would be completed only through cards and mobiles only. In my opinion, it would not be possible to make the payments cashless fully due to the drawbacks of online payments such as cybercrime and network issue. This essay will explain reasons of my thinking, and will explain why few people would be unwilling to give us using cash.

To commence with, it would not be possible to make payments cashless completely, because of the cybercrime and network issue. For instance, when the server in the area will be down, masses will not be able to complete the payments, and therefore, at that particular moment, cash will be the only option to make payment. Apart from this, online payments are always risky, particularly for young children and elderly people, as they often become prey of frauds which ask for OTP for payment confirmation and other personal information. Hence, it would not be possible to make payments fully digital.

I believe some people would not be ready to give up cash because they are at familiar with the technology, and they are reluctant about learning and find it to complicated. For instance, most of the elder people doesn't want to step out of their comfort zone, and they are rather happy using cash, as they feel using the technology is to challenging to learn in their this stage of life. Apart from this, there are many remote locations, where the cash is the only option, and therefore, people are unwilling to give up cash.

To conclude, it has been said that in future, populace might not be able using cash in shops, and all payments would be made using cards and phone only. However, I argue that it would not be possible to be completely cashless due to the negatives of cashless payments such as frauds and network connectivity. Moreover, some people would not be happy to give up cash because of the complicated technology, and owing to the cash being more convenient in some locations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position on the future of cash and explaining why some individuals might be reluctant to adopt digital payments. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of cybercrime, network issues, and the digital divide for the elderly. However, the development of these points is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the conclusion, which restates the introduction almost verbatim. To reach a higher band, the arguments could be extended with more nuanced examples or a deeper exploration of the societal implications of a cashless society, rather than just focusing on technical failures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices are used throughout, such as 'To commence with', 'Apart from this', and 'To conclude'. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though there are minor issues with flow between sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow, although the final paragraph adds little new information, which slightly impacts the overall coherence of the argument's development.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'populace' and 'reluctant', which are used correctly. However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'give us using cash' (instead of 'give up') and 'to challenging' (instead of 'too challenging'). The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'most of the elder people doesn't want') and prepositional usage. There are also minor punctuation and spelling slips throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would significantly improve the score.

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