Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-24

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 this era of digitalisation, we can imagine a situation when all transactions will happen digitally and no cash will be accepted anywhere. However, if i assess the scenario in terms of current situation, this seems to be far from reality for atleast a decade. I would like to support my statement with few examples.

Although small vendors like vegetable seller, washerman, car cleaner, domestic help etc. have started to accept the payments in digital modes, however, there are still some workers who are out of scope because of the resources they have or don't have. These workers are not in situation to open bank accounts where it is required to maintain a minimum balance in order to keep the bank account active. Secondly, they are not capable enough to buy a phone to support digital payments as their earning are limited that they are hand to mouth. Examples of such workers are rag pickers, sweepers and cobblers. Unless, the standard of their lives is not improved, they can't participate in digital progress of the country.

There is one more aspect to it, no matter how much scrutiny does govenment lays on the taxpayers, people will still be able to manage the tax evasion . Money laundering cannot be eradicated completely unless corruption has been removed from the system. The black money will stay as a part of current economy and people involved in these deeds will certianly be not happy getting their such actions tracked by government, they still would like to deal in cash so they can introduce their washed money to the system.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons why some people might resist this change. You have a clear position that a cashless society is unlikely in the near future. The ideas regarding socio-economic barriers for informal workers are well-developed and relevant. However, the second paragraph regarding tax evasion is slightly less focused on the 'why people might not be happy' aspect and leans more into a general discussion of corruption. To reach a higher band, ensure that every point directly answers the prompt's specific questions. Overall, the ideas are relevant and supported with clear examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into three paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Although', 'Secondly', and 'There is one more aspect to it', which help the reader follow your argument. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the discussion of informal workers and the issue of tax evasion is abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is more fluid.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'digitalisation', 'transactions', 'scrutiny', and 'tax evasion'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'hand to mouth' (which is an idiom usually used as 'living hand to mouth') and 'introduce their washed money to the system'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from being considered 'flexible' or 'precise'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and ensure that idiomatic expressions are used in their correct grammatical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'Unless, the standard of their lives is not improved' (a double negative that confuses the meaning), 'no matter how much scrutiny does govenment lays' (incorrect word order and verb agreement), and 'certianly be not happy'. These errors occur frequently enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points. To reach a higher band, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct word order in questions or clauses, and avoiding double negatives.

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

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