Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07

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 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. It will happen one day. As the technology is advancing, people are getting more awareness regarding easy and fast payment methods. In the restaurants or in the shopping malls, people prefer to pay for their bills by using their card or a transfer through online banking. There are many virtual banks introduced in the last 3 years and many of them offers just a scan functionality. A person with amount in his virtual bank just scans the QR code and make payment to the recipient.

People do not want to keep the cash with them. They take it as a burden or something. They have cards and mobile phones. Internet is everywhere. They just turn on the internet of their device and transfer funds in seconds to the recipient or ask them to bring the card machine and pay via card. One big factor of people not keeping cash with them is assuming it as a responsibility. Today people want to feel relax and easy as much as they can. Second factor of not keeping cash is growing theft on streets.

In contrast, there are people who might not be happy to give up using cash. They are generally the one who believe that at any time or anywhere you could run into an emergency, where there is no internet or no card machine. Keeping cash is always advantageous. For example, I visited a restaurant with my friend who invited me for a dinner with him. We had a pleasant meal together. When the manager gave him the bill he asked for a card machine. The manager told him that they did not have a card machine. Then he asked for a mobile number to transfer the bill amount. The manager told him that we only accept payments in cash. Luckily, I had a cash in my wallet. I paid the bill. From that day, I always keep cash with me.

In my opinion, people shall always have to keep an adequate amount of cash with them. It is best to use latest technology and easy ways but always keep some cash with you as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly state that a cashless society is likely to happen and provide logical reasons for why some people might resist this change, such as concerns about emergencies and technical failures. The ideas are relevant and supported by a personal anecdote. To reach a higher band, you could further develop the discussion on the 'why' behind the transition, perhaps by mentioning the role of government policy or the global trend toward digital infrastructure, rather than focusing primarily on individual convenience. The position is consistent throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In contrast' and 'For example', to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more sophisticated. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better highlight the contrast between the two viewpoints. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'virtual banks', 'functionality', and 'adequate amount'. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'assuming it as a responsibility' or 'people are getting more awareness'. These do not impede communication, but they limit the score. To improve, focus on more precise collocations and idiomatic expressions. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as 'many of them offers' (subject-verb agreement), 'I had a cash' (article usage), and 'people shall always have to keep' (inappropriate modal usage). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your argument. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles with uncountable nouns like 'cash'. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would also help elevate your score.

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

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