Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-29

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 6.5)

In the contemporary world, a surging trend of cashless economy will be observed whereas a diminishing trend of paper money will takes place. A vast majority will not happily accept this trend. I absolutely agree with this statement. This essay will explore reasons to this trend in upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, a remarkable surge in popularity of cashless economy will be observed in coming years across many countries. The prime reason to this trend will be corruption. Many nations have prevalent corruption at every level of the governmental bodies. Therefore, to eliminate corruption, cashless economy will be the sole solution to track and keep the record of money. Moreover, the another reason could be theft and bribery. The money will be directly credited to the bank of the user, consequently there will be no chances of committing unlawful activities. For instance, countries like India where from street vendors to IT companies, everyone adopt the method of cashless money by using scanners and crediting money directly to the banks reducing illegal activities. Hence, because of these reasons the modern world will adopt cashless paying methods.

On the other hand, some people might be concerned and will show disinterest in this upcoming trend because the internet will be the only means through which money can be transferred. Hence, if internet will be shut off, the whole sharemarket will fall down. Another reason could be people will lose the authority over the money because the money will be under the banks. Furthermore, according to RBI's policy, if banks get bankrupt only certain percentage of the amount will be refunded to the users rather than the original amount. Hence, it will affect the lives of middle class people. Moreover, countries with higher illiteracy will struggle to use scanners for paying. Therefore, people are not certain that this trend will be successful in future.

To recapitulate, in my considered opinion, a balanced approach should be opted. This innovation of cashless economy will affect lives both positively and negatively. I believe a hybrid model should be implemented for cashless economy trend in future where cashless and paper money will be easily used by netizens. But one day this trend will be adopted by every countries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons for public resistance. The position is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of corruption and the digital divide, though some arguments, like the link between corruption and cashless payments, could be more nuanced. The development is generally good, with specific examples like the Indian digital payment system. However, the conclusion introduces a 'hybrid model' which slightly contradicts the initial stance of agreeing that a cashless future is inevitable. Overall, the task is well-covered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main aspects of the prompt. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the vague use of 'this trend' in the opening. Despite these minor points, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'cashless economy', 'scanners', and 'sharemarket'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural collocation or word choice, such as 'diminishing trend of paper money will takes place' and 'the another reason'. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. The student attempts to use academic vocabulary, but some expressions are slightly repetitive or imprecise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and articles, such as 'will takes place' instead of 'will take place' and 'every countries' instead of 'every country'. Some conditional structures are attempted, but with errors, such as 'if internet will be shut off'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The control over punctuation is generally good, but the frequency of minor grammatical slips prevents a higher score.

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