Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

I THINK IN TIME TO COME, BUSINESSES MAY GO CASHLESS, PERMITTING ONLY MOBILE AND CARD PAYMENTS AND THIS MAY FACE SOME CHALLENGES IN WIDE ACCEPTABILITY.

THE RATE AT WHICH CASHLESS ECONOMY IS SPREADING IS ON GEOMETRIC RISE. SHOPS I VISITED ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN I TRAVELED TO LONDON AND PAID WITH CASH, HAS TRANSITIONED TO CARD AND MOBILE PAYMENT ON MY RECENT VISIT ABOUT A MONTH AGO.

THE INTRODUCTION OF THESE NEW FORM OF PAYMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP IN CERTAIN AREAS. IT HAS REDUCED THE RATE AT WHICH PEOPLE LOOSE THERE CASH ON THERE WAY TO SHOPS WHICH CAN LEAVE THEM STRANDED AT PAY POINTS . AT THE SAME TIME, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE LOST THERE CASH WHEN CRIMINALS DIP HANDS INTO THERE POCKETS WITHOUT THERE NOTICE AND CART AWAY WITH THERE CASH AND THESE WILL POSE A LOT OF STRESS ON THE INDIVIDUAL. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE CASHLESS ECONOMY WILL PUT AN END TO THAT.

THOUGH THIS IS A GOOD DEVELOPMENT, BUT I HAVE A THOUGHT THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL STILL HAVE CHALLENGES IN AGREEING WITH ME.

MANY MEMBERS OF THE POPULACE ARE SO FIXED AND ACCUSTOMED WITH THE OLD ORDER AND MAY FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT ADJUSTING INTO USING CARDS AND MOBILE PAYMENTS.

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES THE CARD AND PHONE PAYMENTS WOULD SUFFER DUE TO DISSATISFACTION SOME MEMBERS OF THE POPULATION WOULD EXPRESS, I STILL AGREE THAT THE METHOD IS THE WAY TO GO FOR A ROBUST AND SECURED ECONOMY WE ALL CRAVE FOR

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons for public resistance. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you provide a personal example regarding London, the discussion on why people might be unhappy is a bit brief and could benefit from more depth—for example, discussing the digital divide, privacy concerns, or the exclusion of elderly populations. The essay meets the minimum length requirement, but expanding on the 'why' would elevate the score by providing more substantial support for your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the benefits, the challenges, and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. Phrases like 'At the same time' and 'Though this is a good development, but' (which is grammatically redundant) are used, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. Additionally, the use of capitalization for the entire body text makes the essay difficult to read and negatively impacts the overall presentation, which is a factor in coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'cashless economy', 'geometric rise', and 'robust'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and spelling mistakes that hinder precision. For example, you used 'loose' instead of 'lose', 'there' instead of 'their', and 'cart away with' is slightly informal. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequent spelling errors and occasional awkward phrasing suggest a need for more careful proofreading and a wider variety of precise collocations to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that detract from the quality of the writing. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'shops I visited... has transitioned'), incorrect pronoun usage ('there' instead of 'their'), and punctuation errors. The use of all-caps is also a significant issue as it ignores standard conventions of written English. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common homophone errors like 'there/their/they're' and 'lose/loose'.

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