Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-28

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)

In this modern world, technology advancement have been rapidly growing over the past couple of years. While some people believe that usage of physical card is growing exponentially, which could leads to stop using the cash in shops. In my opinion, I somewhat agree with the given statement. There could be some instances where cash can not be disappeared completely. This essay will discuss the main reasons of it and then suggest why people think the other way.

To begin with, innovation has widespread in everyone's life that everything is controlled digitally now. Due to the inflation and rising cost of living, people avoid to buy stuff for themselves. However, most shops offer installment advantages, which attracts customer to shop online. As a result, this helps them to split their monthly payment. Moreover, companies have also introduced digital cards such as apple pay or google pay, which reduce the stress of carrying cash all time. For example, in Canada all the supermarkets has introduced point-earning system. If people purchase groceries using their cards, it helps them to collect their points, which they can redeem in their next purchase. As a result, cash has completely replaced by cards in urban cities.

On the other hand, there are several instances where cash remains the top priority of customers. Especially when people visit in the remote areas. Shops rarely accept online transactions. Therefore, cash comes play an important role there. Many shops encourage consumers to pay in cash because it helps them to save taxes. One clear example of this can be seen in many small local businesses and traditional street markets in India, where shopkeepers explicitly request cash payments to avoid transaction fees charged by card processors.

In conclusion, although card payments have become the preferred choice in big cities due to rewards and convenience, I do not believe cash will disappear entirely. Cash will remain a practical necessity for rural communities and small businesses for a long time to come.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing a clear opinion on the future of cash and explaining why some people might be reluctant to abandon it. Your ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as the point-earning systems in Canada and the tax-avoidance practices in India. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat uneven; for instance, the link between inflation and online shopping in the second paragraph is not fully explained. To reach a higher band, ensure that every point directly supports your main argument and provides a more cohesive logical flow.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'As a result', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are instances where the connection between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition from inflation to online shopping in the second paragraph is abrupt. Improving the variety of your linking phrases and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next will help you achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'exponentially', 'transaction fees', and 'practical necessity'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'innovation has widespread' (should be 'innovation has spread') and 'cash has completely replaced by cards' (should be 'cash has been completely replaced'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over word forms and sentence structure. Expanding your repertoire of academic collocations will further enhance your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('technology advancement have been', 'which could leads to') and passive voice construction ('cash has completely replaced'). While your meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that verb tenses are used consistently throughout the text. More attention to these foundational aspects will significantly improve your accuracy.

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