Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

In today's fast-paced world, many people started using digital method of payment and a very few relying on paying with cash. In my opinion, as the time changes the technology also changes, I think in near future many individual rely on new innovations. This essay will explain about how method of payment may affect people.

To begin with, carrying a cash is a threat. Nowadays people feel more safe using payments with cards, because the cases of pickpocketer increase on alarming rate. Moreover, it is difficult to give change for the product which costs more. For example, buying a thousand dollar item can be paid in an installment so it is more feasible to the society rather than arranging big amount to pay.

In addition, with the online transaction people can buy anything online around the world without any hustle. For example, in my physiotherapy clinic, I recently bought a therapeutic machine from Japan. It was easy to deal with because the company have an option to pay in an installment so there is no burden to arrange cash immediately.

On the other hand, many elderly prefer old methods of payment. Because they have difficulty in using digital payment methods and is quite tricky for them. However, there are chance of misusing card details so people have more trust issues.

To conclude, having cash is as important as card payment. Because, everywhere in the world is not the same method of payment acceptable. And some people such as businessman are happy with the change but elderly is quite not like the new innovation of technology.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless society and the reasons for resistance. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The arguments regarding the benefits of digital payments are clear, but the section on why people might be unhappy is underdeveloped. For instance, mentioning 'trust issues' and 'difficulty' for the elderly is a good start, but these points lack depth and specific examples. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the social or psychological implications of losing cash, such as the loss of anonymity or the digital divide, rather than just stating that it is 'tricky'. The position is clear, but the conclusion introduces new ideas rather than summarizing the main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and some linking words are used incorrectly or awkwardly, such as 'Because they have difficulty... and is quite tricky'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, the phrase 'everywhere in the world is not the same method of payment acceptable' is syntactically confusing and disrupts the logical progression of the conclusion. Improving the variety and precision of your cohesive devices would enhance the overall readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'online transaction', 'digital payment methods', and 'installments'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'carrying a cash is a threat' (should be 'carrying cash is risky') and 'pickpocketer increase on alarming rate' (should be 'pickpocketing is increasing at an alarming rate'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and you rely on basic phrasing. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive or slightly unnatural phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in articles ('a cash', 'the society'), subject-verb agreement ('the company have'), and sentence construction ('everywhere in the world is not the same method of payment acceptable'). Some sentences are fragmented or lack proper grammatical structure, which occasionally forces the reader to re-read to understand the intended meaning. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain errors that impede the flow. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy and proofreading for common errors like article usage and verb agreement will help you achieve a higher score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.