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 epoch, technology is getting advanced to accommodate a better lifestyle for mankind. The advancement of information technology may replace the cash payments with card or using phones in future. I think this transition might be happen in near future because the majority of small shops are upgraded to shopping malls, which only accepts electronic payments. Some people would be not happy to give up cash payments due to various reasons which will be explicated in the following paragraphs.

The majority of North American countries are already using cashless payment methods, and now that transition is on the pace in Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka too. I believe that card payment methods will completely replace the cash payments because cashless payments are quite easy, quick, and recorded. It is to mention that electronic payments are considered instant for transactions with a tap option, and recorded in bank transactions to identify any discrepancy or loss.

In addition, most of the small businesses like grocery shops, cloth centers, and street food shops are using cash payments, which are getting upgraded in one shopping center for a quick access of various items at one place. It is to mention that such shopping malls are keeping their inventory and sale online tracking system which is more suitable with electronic payments. Therefore, such transition would happen in near future. As an instance, metro cities in India are accepting cashless payments because they are well developed with shopping centers and brands which accepts only card payments.

I think some people would not be completely satisfied about this transition of cash to cashless payment method because the majority of rural dwellers are not tech-savvy which might be a trouble for them to understand a new technology methods. In addition, during any technical failure like power outage, and internet problems the cashless payments are unable to process. During such time everybody will face trouble with new developments.

In conclusion, new payment methods are becoming quite popular among youngsters and tech-savvy people because they can use it any place without any technical failure or understanding; however, it is still a big challenge for those who are not familiar with new technical developments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear opinion on the future of cash and identifying reasons for resistance to this change. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of rural populations and technical failures. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the transition to shopping malls. To reach a higher band, the arguments could be more nuanced; for example, exploring the psychological attachment to cash or privacy concerns beyond just 'tech-savviness'. The position is consistent throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition', 'Therefore', and 'In conclusion', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, although the flow between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother, as they both touch upon the shift toward shopping malls. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the prompt.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts at less common collocations like 'modern epoch' and 'discrepancy', though some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'on the pace' or 'cloth centers'. The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without difficulty. To improve, the student should focus on more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing like 'electronic payments' and 'cash payments' by using synonyms or pronouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent minor errors in grammar, such as 'this transition might be happen' (should be 'might happen'), 'which only accepts' (should be 'accept'), and 'a new technology methods'. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score in this category.

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