Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-01

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)

It can be observed that paying cash payments for things in stores would be replaced by plastic cards and mobile phones, in upcoming years. This trend is happened because of some reasons, and in my opinion, many people would not interested to use such new techniques of paying bills and payments.

One main reason why the electronic cards, including debit cards, credit cards, and mobile phones would be popular to pay in stores because of their their ease of accessibility. Nowadays, when people go for shopping, then they can easily complete their transactions by using such cards in their mobile phones instead of carrying large amount of cash with them. These cards also help them to pay other bills while sitting at their homes instead of waiting in long queues, resulting to save their time and energy to travel anywhere.

However, I think some people might not be interested to use such cards because of some frauds and security issues. Doing transactions online always are not safe, sometimes because of some fake websites, fake links and cyber security threats, they have to lose their lots of money just by one single click. These types of websites and crimes thefts not only hack their accounts but also sometimes they have to cease their accounts with the permission of banks, leading to stress and anxiety in their life.

Having knowledge about new technology could be another reason to avoid the use of card payments. If people, especially senior citizens, and uneducated people would not have adequate knowledge about new use of these cards or mobile phones, then it could be risk not only for them but also for their family budget.

To sum up, while the usage of electronic cards for payments would bring benefits for some people like to save their time and energy to go anywhere for paying their bills, many people may not be happy because of some frauds, security issues, and lack of knowledge about new technology.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless society and the reasons for public resistance. The position is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of security concerns and the digital divide for senior citizens. However, the development is somewhat repetitive in the second paragraph, and the conclusion simply restates the points rather than synthesising them. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully explored with more specific examples or deeper analysis rather than listing multiple reasons in a single paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However', 'To sum up', and 'One main reason'. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'This trend is happened because of some reasons'. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression could be smoother with more varied linking words to connect the ideas within paragraphs more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'transactions', 'cyber security threats', and 'electronic cards'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'paying cash payments' (redundant) and 'crimes thefts'. The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding the range of synonyms and collocations would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'This trend is happened' (passive voice error), 'would not interested' (missing verb), and 'doing transactions online always are not safe' (word order). While these errors are frequent, they rarely impede communication. The student demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the control over these structures is inconsistent. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of auxiliary verbs would significantly enhance the accuracy of the writing.

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