Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-11

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)

It is widely accepted that economy is progressing to become fully digital in future, which suggests that public would not be able to use cash anymore for payments and likely all the transactions will be done by either cards or phone apps. I agree that this is most certain to happen in the future owing to the convenience and transparency it provides for the consumers.

The primary catalyst for the trend to go paperless is convenience. Since people don not need to carry large amounts of cash with them in order to do shopping, using cards or paying through phones give them comfort and flexibility to shop without the worry of the money being stolen. Furthermore, the revolution which this breakthrough innovation has brought is preventing fraud at many levels. Since shopkeepers cannot hide the digital money, they need to pay tax on every penny. As a result, the society as a whole strives towards honesty and integrity. For instance, in India- paying through apps like Google pay has significantly resulted in almost double of the tax collection in the retail sector in 2025 when compared to all cash payments in 2015.

On the contrary, despite the merits there are some demographics for whom giving up cash is not easy, especially members of graying society or ones belong to poor economic backgrounds. This is because for former this technology is too advanced and for the latter is expensive to equip themselves with latest technology. However, I believe with formal training and better access to technology these challenges can be mitigated effectively.

In conclusion, while it is undeniable that cashless payment technology is tech-intensive and expensive for some sectors, the convenience and flexibility are far more considerable and therefore in my opinion this change is certain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position on the future of cashless payments and explaining why some groups might struggle with this transition. Your ideas are relevant and supported by a specific example regarding tax collection in India. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are fully developed; for instance, the discussion on the 'graying society' could be expanded to include specific social implications beyond just 'advanced technology.' Overall, your response is well-focused and directly answers the prompt's requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore,' 'On the contrary,' and 'In conclusion' effectively to guide the reader through your argument. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the benefits of digital payments to the challenges faced by specific demographics. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, 'for former' should be 'for the former' to maintain better flow and grammatical accuracy.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'primary catalyst,' 'transparency,' and 'mitigated effectively' show a good command of language. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'graying society' (which is understandable but slightly non-standard) and 'ones belong to poor economic backgrounds' (which should be 'those belonging to'). Expanding your range of collocations and ensuring more natural word choices would help elevate your score to the next level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('the economy,' 'the public') and minor errors in subject-verb agreement or preposition usage ('ones belong to' instead of 'those belonging to'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for articles and consistent verb forms will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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