Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-15
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 recent future, individuals might not be able to purchase things in stores using cash anymore. Using cards or even phone pay will be the future for payments. In this essay, I will talk about how long it will take to have this trend to be applicable and how people will feel according this massive change.
On the one hand, most people see that using cards and Smart ways to pay for you purchases will take a long time to be applied into our world because most of us has already adapted to the traditional ways of paying such as using the cash, coins, or even checks. Therefore, it will be a not that easy to change people minds to use the new ways of paying. That said, whether they got used to it or not they have to change to the using of the new ways because the whole world nowadays is using those sophisticated ways in payment.
On the other hand, some individuals will get a bit disappointed because of these changes as they used to the old ways to buy their stuff. For example, in the past, people would take a huge bag of money in order to purchase their new house, car, or even their furniture, however, everything has changed into modern ways, with just a click of a button they can finish deals bigger than just buying a house or even a top-notch car, with the help of the new applications that help all the individuals to buy anything with a click of a button. Therefore, people will happily get accustomed to this innovation in payments world.
To conclude, although the changes of payment methods will make a lot of people struggle to get accustomed to use them, they will make it much more easier than before.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons for resistance. However, the development is somewhat inconsistent. The first body paragraph discusses the difficulty of transition, but the second paragraph contradicts itself by initially suggesting people will be disappointed, then concluding that they will 'happily get accustomed' to the change. This lack of a clear, sustained position weakens the response. While the ideas are relevant, they are not fully extended or supported with sufficient depth, leading to a somewhat superficial treatment of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Therefore', which help guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas within the second body paragraph is slightly confusing due to the internal contradiction mentioned earlier. Additionally, some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the flow of logic could be improved by ensuring that arguments are consistent throughout each paragraph.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at more sophisticated language, such as 'sophisticated ways' and 'innovation', but the range is somewhat limited. There are also minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the using of the new ways' and 'payments world', which sound slightly unnatural. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'most of us has already adapted' (subject-verb agreement), 'it will be a not that easy' (article/word order), and 'according this massive change' (preposition error). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The control over complex structures is inconsistent, and punctuation is generally functional but basic.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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