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)

Nowadays people find it more convenient to purchase things by using their easily accessible cards or phones. Which reliefs them from carrying a wallet of cash with them. I believe that this will eventually vanish off the use of cash in our day to day life.

As theft have been skyrocketed in society. People are more prone to use digital wallet in their phones. Ultimately replaces physical cards as well. It automatically provides more stronger authenticator and security rather than carrying cash in the hands. This reflects that people would significantly rely on online payment system rather than cash. From my experience i just bought a washing machine from a local convenience store. I used my phone to do whole payment without any risk of travelling out with cash. So likewise cards or online payments makes things easier.

However, paying through cards provides profits in longer terms. For instance perks like collecting points, cashback, reclaim and reimbursement of the money you spent. For me personally it has given a lot in return. So i always choose to pay by card. Also it helps a person to build credit score which supports to get a loan in future. To my experience it helped me to invest my money on big achievements like buying home and a car with a good credit score. Whereas it would not have been possible without the usage of cards.

In Conclusion, I believe people would completely turn onto the online payment system as it brings safety and security. Helps a person in future investments. And also saving ourselves from unexpected demonetization.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the future of cash and the reasons why people might be reluctant to abandon it. However, the second part of the prompt—why people might not be happy to give up cash—is not explicitly addressed. Instead, the essay focuses on the benefits of digital payments. To improve, you must directly answer the 'why' regarding the potential downsides or public resistance to a cashless society, such as privacy concerns, the digital divide for the elderly, or the risk of system failures. The position is clear, but the development of ideas is somewhat one-sided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'However' and 'For instance', to link your points. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Which reliefs them' at the start of a sentence, which is a fragment. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect your arguments more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'reimbursement', 'demonetization', and 'authenticator'. However, there are several instances of word choice errors or awkward collocations, such as 'vanish off the use of cash' (should be 'lead to the disappearance of cash') and 'more stronger' (a double comparative error). While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and natural collocation required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'As theft have been skyrocketed' (subject-verb agreement and tense error), 'provides more stronger' (double comparative), and 'supports to get a loan' (incorrect verb pattern). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several sentence fragments starting with 'Which' or 'Helps'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors limits the score.

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

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