Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

Undoubtedly, in this modernized era, some people think that they may no longer able to pay for things using cash money as all the payments will be digitalized. As per my opinion digital payment become more convenient which I discuss in my forthcoming paragraphs.

To commence with, digital payments are more effective and convenient. This is how, in this technological era, most of the individuals using digital payment method by using their mobile phone. For example, In Canada, by using mobile wallet it is easy to transfer money from one account to another account. As a result, it not only save the time but also easy to excess and manage.

In opposite to this, few individuals support the cash payment due to privacy and lack of access. This is why, some people might not have proper knowledge and they might afraid to any scams or fraud. For an instance, there may be possibility of hacking of data which could leads towards the big loss and fraud. Thus, because of this reason few person prefer to use cash transaction rather than the online transaction which could be more safe and secure.

To conclude that, in upcoming years there is huge possibility of replacing cash from the digital payment. I believe that their is some chances of fraud and cheating but if individuals use in a secure way it will be most convenient and easy to use in the daily life. This could also make life easier and faster. just need to careful while using it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons for public resistance. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention convenience and security concerns, the arguments lack depth and specific supporting evidence. For instance, the example regarding Canada is brief and does not fully illustrate the broader societal shift. To improve, aim to expand on your points by explaining the 'why' and 'how' in greater detail, ensuring that the connection between your examples and the main argument is more robust. The position is clear, but the overall development remains at a basic level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'In opposite to this', and 'To conclude that'. However, some of these transitions are used mechanically or incorrectly, such as 'In opposite to this' (should be 'In contrast' or 'Conversely'). Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal cohesion needs more variety and precision to move to a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'convenient', 'digital payment', and 'easy to use'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'excess' (instead of 'access') and 'leads towards the big loss'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations related to finance and technology, and pay closer attention to the correct usage of words in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'some people think that they may no longer able to' (missing 'be'), 'digital payment become' (subject-verb agreement), and 'there is some chances' (plural agreement). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of basic grammatical slips prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and verb forms will significantly improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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