Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13

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 6.0)

As there huge technological advancements these days and many people prefer to make digital payments rather than cash, in future people would pay only electronical means using cards, phones through apple pay, google pay and Paypal. In my opinion this will happen one day, but cash would usage would not stop completely. Also, there are people who are not happy about not using cash completely.

In today times we can already see the change in mode of payments especially young consumers. People carry their phone everywhere rather than cash and make transaction electronically. It is very convenient to make payments digitally rather to carry wallet everywhere time people head out. Also, digital transactions have record and automatically can be tracked down the expense.

In my opinion, although it has numerous benefits but it cannot replace cash completely. Electronics are prone to wear and tare. Incase of sudden damage off smart phone, cash transactions could be very useful. Also, there are small business that charges service fee for electronic transfers which could spike in expenses for some people.

There are some people who are not willing to accept digital payments as there are people who are not so technological friendly especially elderly people. As technology changes every passing day, it is hard to keep up with it for aged people. Another reason is cyber crime is rising along with the technological advancement, as you make payments digitally always there may be chance that if your merchant account is hacked and there can be financial loss.

To sum up. Yes, digital payments are rising but it cannot fully replace cash payments. Some people may still prefer to pay through cash. Electronic payments has its pros and corns.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, including the likelihood of a cashless society and the reasons why some people might resist this change. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about cybercrime is mentioned but not fully explored in terms of its impact on consumer trust. Similarly, the mention of small businesses charging fees is a good point but lacks a concrete example to strengthen the argument. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your supporting points with more detailed explanations or specific real-world examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. There is a general progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'Also' to start sentences. Additionally, some transitions between sentences are slightly abrupt, which affects the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'this', 'these') is used more precisely would help the ideas connect more smoothly and naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'digital payments', 'electronic transfers', and 'cyber crime'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'electronical means', 'cash would usage', and 'technological friendly'. Furthermore, there are minor spelling errors like 'tare' (tear) and 'Incase' (In case). To improve, focus on learning common collocations and refining your use of adjectives and adverbs to sound more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'As there huge technological advancements' (missing verb), 'In today times' (incorrect preposition), and 'Electronic payments has its pros and corns' (subject-verb agreement and spelling error). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically complete.

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