Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23
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 6.5)
The question of whether future transactions would allow using cash as a payment method has attracted a great deal of attention. In my opinion, reliability over physical mode of payment would be minimised, but it should not be abondend completely because people who are not able to use digital methods would be in trouble.
To begin with, technological advancement has made everyone's life better by providing us different payment options. Old age people who are not aware of using blazzing digital smartphones and softwares would find themselves into serious problem when they would be denied to accept bills. Even for the kids, parents cannot directly give away their phone or card to let them spend money, instead they can be provided with some amount of cash that would be required to pay when letting them buy products based on their price. Moreover, governments try to educate people about using digital methods to track transactions made by residents and control any illegal things happening, along with accepting physical bills as an alternative mode.
More people rely on card and digital methods it is more easier for scammers to influence weak people and steal their savings. For example, any person inpersonating as banking advisor might easily manipulate a person to share private account details and lead to financial loss. Another problem is if anybody steals phone or bank card from someones wallet, they might lose all the money present in their account, while if there were some cash along the side would save them in case of such events.
In conclusion, cash should be an acceptable method along the side due to safety, reliability and convenience it provides to everyone.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless society and the reasons why some people might be reluctant to adopt it. The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout. Ideas are relevant, such as the exclusion of the elderly and the risks of digital fraud. However, some arguments could be more fully developed; for instance, the point about children and cash could be explained with more nuance regarding financial literacy. Overall, the response covers all requirements of the task well, providing a balanced perspective that directly answers the prompt's questions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as the challenges for specific demographics or the risks of digital security. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are occasional issues with referencing, such as in the sentence 'More people rely on card and digital methods it is more easier...', where the connection between the two clauses is grammatically disjointed, affecting the flow of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The range of vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'inpersonating' (misspelled) and 'blazzing' (inappropriate collocation). Some word choices are imprecise, such as 'illegal things' instead of 'illegal activities' or 'financial crimes'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, there are noticeable errors in spelling and collocation that occasionally detract from the professional tone of the essay. Expanding the range of precise, academic vocabulary would improve the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'Old age people who are not aware of using blazzing digital smartphones and softwares would find themselves into serious problem'. Additionally, there are issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement, such as 'it is more easier' (double comparative) and 'if anybody steals phone'. These errors are frequent but do not impede the reader's understanding of the main points. More attention to sentence construction and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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