Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-30
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)
In the modern era, technology increase step by step and people get benefit of the new sources. In the coming years, people will be going to cashless they are using online method of payment through their debit or credit cards, but some people will not agree with this change. In the further paragraphs, I elaborate both views.
According to the young generation, they are dependent on the technology because it is faster and more convenient rather than past. They think they want to use their phone or cards while for paying the bills. For example, the working youngster states that going to bank for deposit or withdrawn own money and paying the bills through walking the offices is a waste of time. As well people have fear from the robbery and they do not want to carry a physical cash with them, moreover while paying in shops sometime they forgot their vault inside and they feel bring a cash is headache.
On the other side, old people have lack of technology they prefer to using a cash for their routine work, so they think technology is problem for the future. Secondly, the numbers of online frauds is going up, therefore lack of education people share their personal detail with scammers and they lost their bank balances. Furthermore, people who has a black money against the online system they prefer to do cash shopping and convert their black money into white money.
In conclusion, the system should be change according to coming generation because they do not have enough time to walk in the offices and paying their bills on time. Online method is better for the transaction and for future savings
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| 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 superficial. While you mention the convenience for the young and security concerns for the elderly, the arguments lack depth and specific, well-explained examples. The position is clear, but the ideas are presented in a list-like fashion rather than being fully extended. To improve, ensure that each point is supported by a clear explanation or a more detailed scenario to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'In the further paragraphs' is an unnatural way to introduce the body. Transitions like 'Secondly' and 'Furthermore' are used, but the logical flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'they' referring to different groups without sufficient clarity. Improving the variety and precision of linking words will help the ideas flow more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic terms like 'new sources', 'problem', and 'headache'. There are several instances of awkward word choices or incorrect collocations, such as 'walk in the offices' instead of 'visit bank branches' and 'lack of education people' instead of 'less tech-savvy individuals'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary is limited, preventing the expression of more nuanced ideas. Expanding your range to include more topic-specific collocations would significantly improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('people who has a black money'), missing articles ('carry a physical cash'), and awkward phrasing ('they feel bring a cash is headache'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors like pluralisation and verb forms will be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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