Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-02
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)
Paying for things through hard cash may not be continued by people in upcoming times. The usage of credit or debit cards and mobile devices may increase for each payment. I believe that the above statement is true, but there are some reasons why people prefer not to use cards and digital payment.
I think that individuals may stop using cash in future because of digitalization transactions. In upcoming times, people may want to have proof of every transaction which they make and may have not any burden of carrying cash everywhere. Having no hard money help to secure the people of any kind of physical losses.
On the other side some people may always be happy to use cash because they find it more convenient. Mostly older people can find it easy to use cash rather than mobile payment and sometimes they may find difficult to understand the functions of digital payments. So, instead of confusing in mobile payments, older generation may choose easy method mode of payment.
Another reason of using cash happily is privacy and technical issues. Many people may face problems of using different kind of banking applications and may forcefully do wrong transactions. Because of this, they may always scare of doing online payments and may not want to share any personal information. As a result, individuals having cash may feel safe by giving cash in hand.
In conclusion, while people may be happy to use cash because of some practical and technical issues, but according to me it would be more beneficial to do payments through phone or cards.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
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 throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'digitalization transactions' is a bit vague, and the points about older generations and privacy could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The response covers all requirements, but the depth of the arguments remains at a general level, which is characteristic of a Band 6.0 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other side', 'Another reason', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition from discussing older people to the 'easy method mode' is a bit clunky. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'digitalization', 'transactions', and 'banking applications'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'hard cash may not be continued' and 'forcefully do wrong transactions'. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
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, prepositions, and verb forms (e.g., 'help to secure the people of any kind of physical losses' and 'they may always scare of doing online payments'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are noticeable and occur throughout the text. A greater variety of error-free complex structures would be needed to move into the 7.0 band.
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