Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-25
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 5.0)
As per the current situation a big share of payments is done in UPI in our world so we are moving very fast in digital world and no cash payment will not be accepted in shops. I shall be discuss both benefits and drawbacks of this phenomenon in upcoming paragraphs.
undoubtedly, there are multifarious advantages of using cash in shops. first and foremost is while using physical money your body and mind think about the product this will be worth it for me or not. Secondly, While we are using cash payments in shops the transaction is completed without any complications. Thirdly, using hard money will help buy thing vary fast process around the world.
On the other hand their are few drawbacks which cannot be overbooked. firstly, some shops is accepted digital payments so you cannot complete your payments enywhere in world. you should connected with internet while using UPI if there is no internet the transaction will not be completed. Secondly don't worry to carry hard cash to purchese
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 171 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the prompt asks for your opinion on whether a cashless society will happen and why people might be unhappy, the response is underdeveloped. The arguments regarding the benefits and drawbacks are presented in a list-like fashion without sufficient explanation or examples. The conclusion is missing entirely, and the response ends abruptly. To improve, you must expand on each point with specific examples and ensure all parts of the prompt are addressed in full, ensuring you meet the length requirement to allow for adequate depth.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'firstly', 'secondly', and 'on the other hand', which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the paragraphing is inconsistent and the flow is interrupted by the abrupt ending. The logical progression is hindered by the lack of development in each paragraph. The transition between ideas is mechanical rather than fluid. To improve, focus on linking sentences more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting details that lead to a logical conclusion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several instances of incorrect word choice, such as 'overbooked' instead of 'overlooked' and 'hard money' instead of 'physical cash'. The use of 'UPI' is specific but lacks context for a general audience. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to express complex ideas effectively. To improve, you should aim to use a wider variety of topic-specific vocabulary and focus on collocations (words that naturally go together) rather than relying on basic or misused terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('some shops is accepted') and incorrect sentence structures ('I shall be discuss'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing full stops and capitalization errors. The range of sentence structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, you need to practice basic sentence construction and proofread your work to correct common errors in tense and agreement. Focusing on more complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or conditional sentences, will also help improve your 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.