Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In the future digital era, individuals would like to pay by cards or UPI’s instead of cash because new generation want to go paperless to save our environment but still there were some people who would like to use cash because of some reasons which will be discussed in the upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, in the upcoming years people would like to choose cards and mobile phones for shopping instead of cash because everyone is becoming digital and they want to upgrade themselves. On the other hand , increasing of crime is also the another reason that why people want to use their cards because of thefts folks do not want to keep cash with them. For example, last years I was going to my University and one homeless person theft my friend’s handbag and she was having 500$ cash and some important documents also and from that day I also never took cash with me.

Secondly, some people do not want to replace cash because there are many individuals who are not aware of using cards and phone payments because of lack of awareness and they feel more comfortable using cash.Furthermore many old aged people prefer cash because at some age they feel their memory loss and they do not want to trust anyone that is the also main reason.For example, my mother is not aware of using cards and any other digital payment method so that is why she always prefer cash .

Overall, as mentioned in above paragraphs that it depends on people choice whatever they want to choose according to their comfort zone because every generation has their own choice.

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 resistance to this change. The position is clear, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding crime is supported by a personal anecdote, but the broader societal implications are not fully explored. Similarly, the discussion on why people prefer cash could be more nuanced, moving beyond personal anecdotes to broader socio-economic factors. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is expanded with more depth and analytical detail rather than relying solely on personal examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Furthermore.' However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly repetitive. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final sentence where the connection between the paragraphs and the conclusion feels a bit abrupt. Improving the flow between sentences and using a wider variety of linking words would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'digital era' and 'paperless.' However, there are instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'increasing of crime' instead of 'the rise in crime' and 'theft my friend’s handbag' instead of 'stole my friend’s handbag.' The range is sufficient for the task, but more precise and sophisticated vocabulary would be needed to achieve a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with verb tense consistency ('last years I was going... and one homeless person theft'), article usage, and subject-verb agreement. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and sentence structure would be highly beneficial.

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