Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
It is considered that, cash usage will be completely disabled in shops in upcoming years. Payment for all the things to buy paid by using cards or mobile phones and I believe this will happen in future. This essay will discuss the cause behind the dissaticfaction of people for using online payments.
To commence with first and foremost reason is lead to digital scam. To explain it, a significant scameers can hack anyone's devicw within few minutes in order to know about their bank account informtion, latter on they use this information to transfer money. Even , sharing of an OTP can take all ammount from account. For example, A survey condducted in surry about the fake transfer and it reveled that 35% of scam incresed with the usage of E transfer. Thus, digital payments can enhance the robery from banks.
Moreover, sometimes online transcations are not able to perform due to technical glitch. To explicate it, when there is any problem with internet at that time people are not able to buy any product. For instance, in hotel even people are starving but not able to buy any cusine. Hence, digital trascation prevent prople to buy essential things.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, but it is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the development of ideas. While you present relevant points regarding security concerns and technical failures, the arguments are underdeveloped and lack sufficient depth. The introduction is brief, and the conclusion is entirely missing. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and examples, and ensure you provide a clear, consistent position throughout the essay. The failure to meet the word count constraint is a major factor in this score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Moreover', and 'For instance' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. Paragraphing is present, but the lack of a concluding paragraph makes the overall structure feel incomplete. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by well-supported, logically connected ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are frequent spelling errors, such as 'scameers', 'devicw', 'informtion', 'condducted', 'reveled', 'incresed', 'transcations', and 'prople'. These errors, while not always impeding meaning, are distracting. You rely on simple, repetitive vocabulary. To improve, focus on learning the correct spelling of common academic terms and attempt to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and topic-specific vocabulary related to finance and technology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but these are frequently marred by grammatical inaccuracies. Examples include 'It is considered that, cash usage will be...', 'a significant scameers can hack', and 'digital payments can enhance the robery'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent. Punctuation is also problematic, particularly with comma placement. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and proofreading to eliminate minor slips that occur frequently throughout the text.
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.