Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21
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)
Technology is replacing all sorts of things with modernization and most people believe its next target is switching cash payments into online banking in upcoming years. I believe to this notion to some extent but I think it cannot be totally changed due to following some reasons.
In favour of online money transfers, firstly, only rich people encourages this trend by taking it as a token of high status. To make it clear, wealthy people looks charming when they pay by cards or mobile phones as they do not want headaches to carry cash for their bills. Moreover, they can also use more than one bank accounts for purchases. Secondly, these days banks are not allowing too much cash withdrawals which troubles individuals and results in increased use of debit or credit cards.
Undoubtedly, online payments make an ease for individuals of middle class and rich families but on same point, replacement of cash is completely inappropriate for people below poverty line . As, these people only survive with cash because they do not have enough income to keep some savings in bank accounts which would make hardships for them to buy something. It’s totally make this clear that poor cannot take benefit from this advancement.
In conclusion, advancement should bring equality in the society to make everyone’s life easy not for any particular group. Whereas in terms of cash replacement, I think more benefits of using credit or debit cards could be added rather than replacing cash payments.
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 response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless society and the reasons for resistance. However, the development is somewhat limited. The argument regarding why the wealthy prefer digital payments is slightly underdeveloped and relies on generalizations. Furthermore, the essay falls just short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which necessitates a penalty. To improve, you should expand on your points with more concrete examples or deeper analysis. For instance, instead of just mentioning 'hardships' for the poor, explain the specific barriers like lack of digital literacy or infrastructure in rural areas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'firstly', 'moreover', and 'in conclusion' to link your points. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the sentence 'As, these people only survive with cash...' is a sentence fragment and disrupts the cohesion. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your referencing (e.g., 'these people') is always clear and grammatically integrated into the preceding sentence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You use some repetitive phrasing, such as 'rich people' and 'wealthy people'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'make an ease' instead of 'facilitate' or 'make it easier'. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to finance and technology, such as 'digital infrastructure', 'financial inclusion', or 'transactional efficiency'. Avoid overusing simple verbs like 'make' or 'do' and look for more descriptive alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('wealthy people looks', 'only rich people encourages') and incorrect article usage ('the poor' vs 'poor'). Additionally, there are punctuation and structural errors, such as starting a sentence with 'As,' which is grammatically incorrect. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and refining your use of complex sentence structures. Proofreading for basic errors like pluralization and verb tense consistency will significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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