Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02

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 6.0)

In the age of digitalization, we can see more and more advanced technology and quick adaption of those newly introduced technologies. Due to these advancements the payment systems have changed a lot in recent times. Even though more and more people start using the new technology, there would you some people which would like to stay old-fashioned and use cash. It would be a blanket statement that all payment will be digitalized because the shops would also want to cater those who use cash frequently.

Firstly, the shop owners would always want to attract more and more customers and also want to make their payment systems more convenient. For instance, suppose if an old lady arrives at the shop to buy a pen then as she has not been a keen user of the credit card or online payment it is very obvious that she would be carrying cash with her. To earn all the business from elderly people and those who carry cash, the shops would always keep the option open to pay by cash.

Moreover, if there is only option to pay using credit card or using phone then people who already have a lot of cash with them would not like to adapt as they are very much used to carrying cash. For instance, a person who has always been keeping a wallet full of dollars and one who do not carry card or phone would be very reluctant to give up using cash.

In conclusion, It is extremely difficult to have all the shops to only have option to pay by card or using phones because there is resistant from both the parties involved: the shop owner who wants to attract every customer and the customer who is not quite adaptive to new technology.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the likelihood of a cashless future and the reasons for resistance. However, the development is somewhat limited. The arguments regarding shop owners and elderly customers are relevant but rely on repetitive examples rather than exploring broader socio-economic or security-related reasons why people might resist a cashless society. The position is clear, but the analysis lacks depth and could benefit from more sophisticated reasoning to reach a higher band. The ideas are presented in a logical manner, but they remain at a surface level throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph is functional but lacks sophistication. Referencing is generally clear, though some phrasing, such as 'there would you some people', indicates a lack of control over cohesive structures at the sentence level.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student uses basic terms like 'newly introduced technologies' and 'stay old-fashioned' repeatedly. While the meaning is clear, there is little attempt to use less common or idiomatic vocabulary. Some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'quick adaption' (should be 'adoption') and 'blanket statement' (used incorrectly in this context). To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to express complex ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'there would you some people which would like' (should be 'there would be some people who would like') and 'if there is only option' (missing article). Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While the student attempts complex sentences, these are often where the errors occur. Increasing the accuracy of basic structures while refining complex ones will help improve the score.

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