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)

It is believed that in upcoming times, people would refrain from using the physical currencies. They would be paying either using their cellphones or cards. In my opinion, this change is going to take place soon as it provides convenience and has lower risks. It might not be easy to cope up with this shift for those who have an old school mindset.

To begin with, considering the advancements in every sphere, the world is at the verge of becoming completely digital. This means that use of cash could be vanished as it has risk of thefts and is difficult to carry when the amounts are huge. By using cards or paying digitally these risks are automatically lowered. For example, if a person has to pay $200,000 for down payment of house, it is best to do it electronically or with a card. As carrying this much money can lead to potential robbery or misplacement. Thus, people might switch sooner to other options for buying or selling commodities.

Along with this, not everyone would be in support of the above idea. Therefore, few of them would still consider using hard cash in place of cards or digital payments. It is because advanced payment methods can lead to scams where money is transferred from one account to another without any ultimatum. For instance, in my current job our company sells credit cards and I hear a lot of fraudulent cases. Hence, those who are not smart in operating technological gadgets or keeping track of transaction on their cards can become prey to frauds.

To conclude, hard cash would be replaced in near future by credit or debit cards or e-payments as it is convenient and safer when compared. However, the value of real cash can not be ignored as well, as it gives freedom to use when and where needed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have addressed both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless society and the reasons why some people might resist this change. Your position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of large house payments and credit card fraud. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are fully developed; for instance, you could expand on the 'old school mindset' mentioned in the introduction to provide more depth regarding the social implications of this transition.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Along with this', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, in the third paragraph, the connection between the 'old school mindset' and the specific example of credit card fraud could be more tightly linked to improve the flow of ideas between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'commodities', 'fraudulent cases', and 'technological gadgets'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'use of cash could be vanished' (should be 'could vanish' or 'might be eliminated') and 'without any ultimatum' (which does not fit the context of unauthorized transactions). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise collocations and less common academic vocabulary would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'cope up with' (should be 'cope with'), 'in upcoming times' (should be 'in the near future'), and 'the use of cash could be vanished'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors throughout the text. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of passive voice constructions. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication.

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