Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-29

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 recent years, the technology is upgrading at an alarming rate. Many people will shift to cashless payments while doing shopping rather than using cash in near future. Some people will face problems due to knowledge and technological advancements. I totally believe this change will come and is important for the society.

On the one hand, cashless payments will provide government to handle frauds in terms of taxes and black money. Online applications that promotes cashless payments will be operated by governments and it will enhance the calculations of cash transaction. Moreover, people can maintain their spending limit and organise their monthly budget to handle household. For example, banks can easily grant loans to people with good credit scores and help people to fulfill their dreams.

Another reason is reducing theft and criminal activities. With cashless facility, people will not carry a huge amount of money, smartphone can do all the cash related activities and will ensure the safety of an individual. Crime rate will be reduced as it is hard to hack the smartphones. Furthermore, cashless payments also benefits ecosystem as less printing will be done and less currency will be made, reducing electricity, paper or plastic use, and workforce. For instance, Inflow and outflow of currency will be easy without use of paper or plastic notes. Use of metal coins to convert it to illegal blades and selling it on profit will be prevented.

On the other hand, old people who are not aware of the technology will face difficulties in cashless payments. Also in case of internet problems in city, it will be hard to use online transactions.

To conclude, cashless transactions are the future, but people who are not aware of technology can face problems. I believe both cash and cashless technology is important and can go hand in hand. It all depends on the preferences of an individual wheather to use the cash or cashless transactions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons for resistance. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the benefits of cashless systems are well-supported with points about tax fraud and environmental impact, the second part of the prompt—why people might not be happy to give up cash—is addressed only briefly in the final paragraph. To reach a higher band, you should dedicate a full paragraph to exploring the concerns of those who resist this change, such as privacy issues, the digital divide, or the psychological comfort of physical currency.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between the benefits of cashless payments and the counter-arguments could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but there are instances where the connection between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'technological advancements', 'credit scores', and 'criminal activities'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'handle household' (should be 'manage household expenses') and 'benefits ecosystem' (should be 'benefits the ecosystem'). Additionally, the phrase 'illegal blades' is unclear and contextually strange. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding informal phrasing. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and flexibility required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the technology', 'the society') and subject-verb agreement ('applications that promotes', 'cashless payments also benefits'). There are also some punctuation and spelling issues, such as 'wheather' instead of 'whether'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that complex structures are used with greater precision.

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