Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-31

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)

Many individuals believe people will have to use cards and phones to make payments instead of cash in the future. I think it will happen sooner than we think because it is more transparent for country economy. Some individuals might find it difficult to replace cash with cards since they are not use to of technology.

Replacing cash payments with electronic means will allow more transparency for the country economy. This will happen because it will allow governments to register more people who are not currently enrolled in tax payer bracket and collect more funds for taxes. For instance, Countries like india, where cash is the main mode of payments which means fewer people are paying taxes because there is no actual transaction on papers. So, payment through electronic media will have a proper record of transactions and it will be easy for governments bodies to track tax money. Moreover, people mostly use cash in illegal activities, this will allow governments to track down those groups.

However, It will significantly affect some individuals to give up on cash and adopt to electronic mode of payment. This is because these people are new to technology and sometimes find it really confusing and difficult to use phone, which might make it even hard to spot the fraud. For example, there are so many scammers pretending to be government, banks, and other officials bodies whose main target is to take advantage of vulnerable people who do not understand the technology.

In conclusion, although it will be beneficial for countries to adopt to electronic payment methods rather than using traditional cash methods because it will allow more transparent transactions and spot any illegal activities, but some people may find it difficult to use technology and give up on cash transactions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless society and the reasons for public resistance. The position is clear from the introduction. The arguments regarding tax transparency and the vulnerability of elderly or tech-illiterate populations are relevant and well-supported with examples like India and the threat of scams. However, the development is somewhat limited; the essay could have been strengthened by exploring other reasons for resistance, such as privacy concerns or the loss of autonomy. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the 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. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'For instance', and 'However' are used to guide the reader through the argument. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the concluding sentence contains a minor grammatical error ('although... but...') that slightly disrupts the cohesion of the final thought. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific terminology such as 'transparent', 'tax payer bracket', and 'vulnerable'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'country economy' instead of 'national economy' and 'not use to of' instead of 'not used to'. While the range is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score. The errors do not impede communication, but they do highlight a need for more precise lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'not use to of technology', 'government bodies' (should be 'government bodies' or 'governmental bodies'), and the redundant use of 'although' and 'but' in the conclusion. Punctuation is generally acceptable, though there are occasional slips with capitalization after commas. While the meaning is always clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. A greater variety of error-free complex structures would be needed for a higher score.

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