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)

Since the beginning of human civilization until now the method of payment is changed a lot and indicating a more change in future as well. many people believe that payment through cash will be disappeared in future and the main reason of this would be phone. I would argue that this will happen one day on the result of more convenience and safety the cards and phones offers. Although, for some people this change is going to be hard due to less knowledge and trust.

First and foremost, phones and card are convenient way to do any type of transaction whether online or offline, whereas people can do only offline with cash. Even, significant proportion of individuals prefer quick and comfortable ways for every task, but for cash they have to visit bank, sign several type of paperwork for security reasons. By contrast, any person can do international transaction from anywhere without paperwork. For instance, mobile payment software like Remitly, Western Union and so on made it possible to send money into another county within minutes. Apart from this, for cash payment consumers have to carry cash with them, which could they lost or stolen, however for card or phone only authorized card or device is required, which is much safer and efficient.

Despite phone and card have several merits, still some people are not happy to give up using cash. The primary reason for it is trust. These people think these methods are not trustworthy as compared to cash due to online fraud and scams. Taking Indigo Bank data leaks as an example, in 2015 this bank's data was compromised, then it lost its customers trust too. As a result, after a year this bank filed bankruptcy and shut down all operations permanently. Famous cyber security specialist MR. J. D Ryne predicted these data leaks are going to be happen more with the advancement of Artificial Intelligence. That is why people like to pay through cash.

In conclusion, it is vivid that people hesitate to give up cash payment due to trust and less knowledge. In spite of this, I think people may no longer be able to pay for things in shops using cash because card and phone offer more benefits than cash.

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 from the introduction and maintained throughout. Ideas are generally well-developed, such as the comparison between the convenience of digital payments and the security concerns regarding data leaks. However, some arguments could be more nuanced; for instance, the claim that cash is only for offline transactions is slightly inaccurate, as cash is a physical medium that does not require a network. Overall, the response covers all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'By contrast', and 'Despite' are used to link ideas. However, there are some minor issues with referencing and flow; for example, the transition between the benefits of digital payments and the drawbacks of cash could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, contributing to the overall coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey ideas clearly. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'transaction', 'data leaks', and 'bankruptcy'. There are occasional inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'on the result of' instead of 'as a result of' or 'could they lost' instead of 'could be lost'. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. The use of 'vivid' in the conclusion is slightly unnatural in this context; 'evident' would have been more appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('method of payment is changed', 'phones and card are convenient way') and article misuse. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'these data leaks are going to be happen more'. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student needs to improve control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic errors.

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