Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-05

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 a modern world, cash may no longer utilize for purchase products as card and smart phone will replace the payment system. However, some people still keep paying by cash because they offer cash discount and some part of the world are lacking of technology.

In the past, cash is a main payment form for buying products from store or shopping at a supermarket as they can pay and get stuffs immediately. These days, a few countries cash still play a crucial role for purchasing items and services. However, if walking through the street, many shops use a cardless system - using card or mobile phone for payment checkout and it is widespread in Australia and New Zealand nowadays because it is convenient, no need to carry a big wallet and people are likely to buy products online. Consequently, various countries may consider to transform their payment system to cashless because shopper's behaviors has changed from in store purchase to buy things from online shopping websites.

On the other hand, some individuals feel more secure to use cash because they can track how much they want to spend from set a limit withdrawal and keep in their purse. Also, they do not have to pay for a surcharge fee when using card as many shops are have an additional fee when pay by digital wallet or card. Also, some venders do give a discount for customers who pay by cash like 5-10% as they need some cash flow to run their business. Another point is some areas of the world may lack of technology and internet access which they can only use cash payment.

In conclusion, I believe that in the future many shops will accept more card or digital wallet payment because it's convenient for customers and venders to keep money online while some shops offer cash discount and a few countries lack of technology or internet access might keep in simple by using cash for their purchase.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the future of cashless payments and the reasons why some people prefer cash. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the discussion on why people prefer cash mentions surcharges and discounts, which is relevant, but the explanation of the 'future' aspect relies heavily on general observations rather than deep analysis. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the implications of a cashless society, such as privacy concerns or the digital divide, rather than just listing features. The response is balanced, but the depth of argument could be improved to fully satisfy the requirements of a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Consequently', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions are slightly abrupt. For example, the transition between the past and the present in the second paragraph is a bit disjointed. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'as they can pay and get stuffs immediately', where the pronoun 'they' does not clearly refer to a specific noun. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear pronoun reference would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'cashless system', 'digital wallet', and 'cash flow'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'utilize for purchase products' (should be 'used to purchase products'), 'lacking of technology' (should be 'lack technology'), and 'keep in simple' (should be 'keep it simple'). These errors do not impede communication, but they demonstrate a limited range of vocabulary. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that verbs and prepositions are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('many shops are have'), incorrect verb forms ('may no longer utilize'), and missing articles ('in a modern world' should be 'in the modern world'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent and occur in both simple and complex sentences. To achieve a higher band, you need to focus on basic sentence construction, particularly the correct use of auxiliary verbs and prepositions. Increasing your control over these fundamental structures will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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