Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-04

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)

Due to technological advancements, there are a plenty of options for payment available in the market. In the forthcoming years, cash transaction may become least option for paying bills. Instead of this, people will prefer to utilize cards and phones for all payments. There are numerous causes responsible for this development. I will discuss further in the forthcoming paragraphs.

There will be more chance to prioritize digital payments in the forthcoming days. In recent times, banking sector introducing digital banking in order to offer more convenient service to the public. To explain this, handling in person service is becoming more hectic nowadays. For this reason, bank offers facilities of both debit and credit card to customers for withdraw money as well as they can use them for their daily transactions. As a result, individuals are becoming more habitual towards using cards for payments in these days. Therefore, people will choose to continue pay their bills by using cards or phones in the future.

There are several root causes that encourage humans not to choose cash payments. The major one is that carrying a huge amount of cash is a risky in recent times. More precisely, due to unemployment, the risk of theft is increasing and create a financial loss to the public if they carry a large amount of money in the market. For this reason, people choose safe payment methods such as a debit card, credit card and Google pay. Furthermore, digital payment methods are more convenient to use as people just need to tap on scanner or just enter PIN number for paying amounts at the counter. If card is lost or stolen by someone, people can secure their money by contacting bank to discontinue card service.

In conclusion, digitalization of banking system is the foremost reason for encouraging people to use digital payment methods in the future as individuals can escape from the theft incidents and secure their money. And they finding this method more convenient as compared to cash payments.

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 why some people might be reluctant to adopt it. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument regarding convenience is mentioned in both the second and third paragraphs. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on the 'why'—perhaps by discussing the digital divide or privacy concerns—rather than restating the benefits of digital payments. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, but the depth of analysis could be improved to move beyond general observations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'For this reason,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'in the forthcoming days/years.' Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'handling in person service is becoming more hectic,' which lacks a clear subject. Improving the flow between sentences and using a wider variety of linking words would enhance the overall coherence of the piece.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'technological advancements,' 'digitalization,' and 'transactions.' However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'a plenty of options,' 'least option,' and 'habitual towards.' These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on collocations—for example, instead of 'habitual towards,' use 'accustomed to' or 'habitually using.' Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary would also help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the banking sector,' 'a financial loss') and verb forms ('bank offers facilities,' 'people can secure their money by contacting bank'). Some sentences are also slightly ungrammatical, such as 'carrying a huge amount of cash is a risky.' While you attempt complex structures, the accuracy is inconsistent. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will significantly improve the quality of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.