Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-12
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)
In the upcoming era, people will use cards and phones to make the payments in the shopping centres beacuse they think it is the safest way . But some think that paying by cash help to buy things tax-free.
On the one hand, there are some reasons why people will use cards and phones to make the payments in the future because for safety reasons. If they carry money , so their are chances for thiefing . But cards and phones are easy to carry. For example, nowadays, phones have an auto-payment method ,which makes people feel secure and safe. In addition, development in technology is also the main reason for this change. Using payment machines in every shop makes the seller and buyer more satisfied . They just have to tap or insert the card into the machine for payment.To illustrate, almost every country used technology for payments.
On the other hand, some people still use cash for purchasing things. As there is no tax on buying the material by cash. So, this is the main reason why people use cash instead of paying by cards and phones. For example, in grocery stores , if you do the payment by using cash then you do not have to pay tax . Furthermore, privacy is another reason for this. Cards are connected with the banks , so there are possibilities of fraud. But with cash it is a much safer option for evey consumer.
In Conclusion, I believe that doing payment with cash will save some of the money and secure the privacy of the people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons why some people prefer cash. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The argument regarding tax-free transactions is a specific point, but it is presented as a general fact without nuance. The response would benefit from more detailed explanations of the social or economic implications of a cashless society. While the position is clear, the supporting examples are brief and lack depth, preventing the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, ensure that each main idea is fully explored with a clear logical link to the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore' are used to connect ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition between sentences within paragraphs can be abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. The flow of ideas is generally easy to follow, but the lack of sophisticated linking words and occasional awkward phrasing in transitions limits the score. Improving the variety of cohesive devices would enhance the overall progression of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'things', 'money', and 'material'. Some word choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as 'thiefing' (should be 'theft' or 'being robbed') and 'doing the payment' (should be 'making a payment'). There are also minor spelling errors like 'beacuse' and 'evey'. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to finance and technology, and focus on using words in their correct collocations to sound more natural and precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect article usage ('the payments', 'the shopping centres'), subject-verb agreement errors ('paying by cash help'), and awkward sentence construction ('If they carry money, so their are chances for thiefing'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring accuracy will also help raise your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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