Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-31

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)

Cash will not be the option available to purchase anything in the markets in the future. Instead digital method of payments will be used such as card and phones. I personally think this will happen one day and this essay will discuss the reasons for the same and also the reasons why some people might not be happy with this change in the upcoming paragraphs.

On the one hand, digitalization is growing day by day. As the Government is promoting digital payments most of the people start using digital payment methods only. For example almost every shop has the card machine to receive payment. Even in a small social gatherings the vendors have the bill option i.e. cash or card. Moreover, It is more convenient to pay from mobile phones instead of cash. In addition to this, fintech companies provides different discounts and offers to use their credit or debit cards. To exemplify this, cashback offers on new products or on any big sale day will promote the use credit card of that specific company to get offer.

On the other hand, some people are not happy with this change. The biggest reason is that they believe that there is increase in the expenditure because of the digital payments. For instance, a number of people goes to market and shop unnecessarily without even thinking because they have the credit money in the card. However, If in this situation they were out of cash or have limited cash they would only purchase the necessarily items.

In conclusion, digitalisation is the future but there should be financial knowledge about how to use wisely. In this way they will overcome the reasons behind unhappiness of some people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, including the prediction about the future of cash and the reasons for potential public resistance. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'unnecessary shopping' due to digital payments is a good point, but it could be expanded with more depth or a more specific real-world example to reach a higher band. The conclusion is brief and could have better summarised the main arguments to provide a more comprehensive final thought.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. The use of cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'In addition to this' helps guide the reader through the arguments. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing within sentences could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'reasons for the same' is a bit awkward. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific terminology like 'fintech companies', 'digitalisation', and 'expenditure'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'bill option' instead of 'payment method' and 'credit money in the card' instead of 'digital balance' or 'funds'. To improve, the student should focus on more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is consistently clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('fintech companies provides', 'a number of people goes') and article usage ('the card machine', 'the market'). There are also minor punctuation and phrasing issues, such as the missing comma after 'However'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring accuracy would be beneficial.

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