Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-16

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)

There is an argument that it would be difficult for people to buy things from shops using cash payments because of the increasing demand of cards and phone payments among all the stores. Although many people find it convenient to use cashless payments, I believe cash payments would not dissapear completely. There are some people who are either affraid of being scamed by using phone payments or they find it easy to use cash.

To begin with, the phenomenon of using phones for payments is significantly increasing nowadays. The rising technology has led people to use cards and mobiles as a digital payment option. People find it convenient to pay through mobile apps rather than kepping cash. However, I believe cash payments would still be accepted because it is a physical currency. We cannot rely on digital payments because it may create some technological problems or network issues. As a result, people would have to use cash instead of waiting or asking others for help. For example, if shops are not accepting cash and the technical problem arise, people would not have any payment option available. Therefore, I believe it is not only important for coustomers but also essential for shop owners to accept cash payments.

Furthermore, some people still rely on using cash as a payment method instead of using cards or mobile phones. I think some people are aware of certain circumstances of using digital payment options. There are chances that people would face online scams while using different ways of digital payments. Therefore, some people avoid using cashless payments everywhere they go. despite having technological advancement, some people does not know how to use such online payment options. Many elderly people find it difficult to use mobile phones as a form of payments.

In conclusion, although some people are using cashless payments because it is convenient, I believe cash payments would not discontinue completely. There are some people who avoid using digital payments because of several circumstances like facing scams or not knowing how to use online payments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: whether cash will disappear and why some people might be unhappy to give it up. The writer establishes a clear position in the introduction stating that cash payments will not disappear completely due to concerns over scams and ease of use. Ideas are generally relevant and extended with examples, such as mentioning technical problems or network issues and the reluctance of elderly people. However, some arguments lack deeper development and tend to over-generalise slightly. For instance, the discussion on technical problems could be expanded to explore broader infrastructure failures. Nonetheless, all requirements of the prompt are covered satisfactorily, aligning well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors. Overall, the task is addressed competently.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is arranged with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, providing a coherent overall arrangement. Logical progression is visible through cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', 'As a result', and 'Furthermore'. However, referencing and paragraphing show some mechanical usage; for example, referencing 'digital payments' is sometimes repetitive ('using digital payment options', 'such online payment options'). Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct ideas, such as the technological argument versus the demographic and security arguments. While cohesion functions adequately to guide the reader through the text, occasional clunkiness in transitions keeps it from reaching the higher bands. It meets the criteria for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'phenomenon', 'infrastructure' concepts, and 'demographic' considerations (though mentioning elderly people). There are several spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including 'dissapear' (disappear), 'affraid' (afraid), 'scamed' (scammed), 'kepping' (keeping), and 'coustomers' (customers). Additionally, grammatical collocation slips occur, such as 'circumstances of using' instead of 'risks associated with'. Despite these inaccuracies, communication is not impeded, and the vocabulary used is minimally sufficient to convey the intended meaning, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional structures and relative clauses (e.g., 'For example, if shops are not accepting cash and the technical problem arise...'). However, grammatical errors are frequent and noticeable, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'some people does not know', incorrect verb forms ('technical problem arise' instead of 'arises'), and minor punctuation or article errors. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they demonstrate inconsistent control over complex structures, preventing the essay from achieving a Band 7.0. The overall control fits the Band 6.0 descriptors well.

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