Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In recent years, the trend of meeting people especially in corporate world has been changed. Some people say that catching up with co-workers after work is a good idea for socializing and getting along with each other. However, some prefer keeping work life and personal life separate. This essay will discuss both the views with my opinion at the end.

Some people think that keeping personal life from professional life separate prevents interferences from their fellows. There are cases when they do not want to disclose everything. For example, the treatment they are undergoing through or any other personal concern. In addition, they believe that this can hinder their privacy. As socializing involves communication, there are times when they are supposed to answer a question which they do not want to. In these cases, they prefer detach themselves from gathering along with avoiding accompanying colleagues.

While others say that getting along together improves their bonding. This activity not only encourages stronger work relationships but also team collaboration among them. For example, many companys conduct fun activity sessions on weekends so that team members can connect more with each other apart from work. Other than that, these activities improve their understanding too. This gives them better chance to know each and build stronger working bonds. There are many organizations who send their workforce to a short trip either on a day off or on weekends to increase team collaboration. I also think that it is a good idea to connect with colleagues after work and know each other.

In conclusion, some say that meeting people from office affects their private life while others consider it as a better opportunity to connect with each other after hours. Moreover, I also completely support the latter statement as it benefits employees allowing them to share stronger bonds while working.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 2.0

The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks about the future of cash payments and why people might be reluctant to abandon cash. However, your essay discusses the social benefits and drawbacks of socializing with co-workers after work. Because you have failed to address the task instructions entirely, the response cannot be assessed as a successful attempt at the set prompt. In an actual exam, this would result in a very low score for Task Achievement as the content is irrelevant to the question asked.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'While others say', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. The progression of ideas within the paragraphs is logical, and the paragraphing is appropriate. Despite the content being off-topic, the structure itself demonstrates a clear ability to organize a standard essay format effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic of workplace social dynamics. Phrases like 'professional life', 'team collaboration', and 'disclose everything' are used correctly. There are some minor errors, such as 'companys' (spelling) and 'detach themselves from gathering along' (awkward phrasing). However, the vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, showing an ability to use topic-specific language, even though the topic chosen was not the one assigned in the prompt.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'the treatment they are undergoing through' (unnecessary preposition) and 'many companys conduct' (pluralization error). However, these errors do not impede communication. You show a reasonable command of sentence structure, although the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the meaning is clear throughout the text.

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

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