Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
It is an irrefutable fact that people might not be use paper money to purchase things in future and digital cards may replace to cash transactions While others believe that cash is mandatory in coming days. I completely agree with first notion.In this essay, I will discuss reasons behind this statement with examples and prove my arguments.
To begin it, some people assert that people will use more cash rather than cards.There are numerous reasons, one of the major reason is that technical errors. To explain it, some times internet services are poor and that is the reason most of the people cannot complete their online payment which may result in delay orders. For Instance, a survey which conducted in 2019, in Europe, 80% companies hold the cash as a backup so they will not delay or stop the import and export products. Thus, having cash is mandatory for all purpose.
On the other side, I believe that card is more useful rather than cash because it is easy to carry and safe. Moreover, a person can use card anywhere while cash , sometimes it is not enough. Additionally, for cash we have to stay in a long queue which may result in time waste. For example, a study showed that in Canada, using digital card is much more convenient than carrying cash.
In conclusion, carrying cash is not a bad idea but debit or credit card is more useable by people and it is easy to use for the transactions.
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 future and the reasons for resistance. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The introduction is slightly confusing, as you state you agree with the 'first notion' that cash will disappear, but then spend the first body paragraph arguing for the necessity of cash. This creates a contradiction in your position. While you provide relevant reasons, such as technical failures and convenience, the arguments lack depth and specific, well-integrated examples. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout and expand on your points with more detailed explanations rather than just listing them.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'To begin it' is not a standard transition, and 'On the other side' is used to introduce your own opinion rather than a contrasting viewpoint. The logical flow is occasionally disrupted by these awkward transitions and the contradictory stance mentioned in the task achievement section. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas between sentences could be smoother. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'nevertheless') would help improve the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'bad', and 'useable'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'delay orders' instead of 'delayed orders' or 'time waste' instead of 'a waste of time'. While your meaning is generally clear, the lack of more sophisticated or topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'digital infrastructure', 'financial inclusion', 'transactional efficiency') limits the score. Focus on learning collocations and more precise academic terminology to enhance your writing.
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 readability. Issues include missing articles ('a survey which conducted'), incorrect verb forms ('people might not be use'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('80% companies hold'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. While you attempt complex sentences, they are often faulty. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on basic accuracy and ensure that your complex structures are formed correctly, particularly regarding verb tenses and prepositional usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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