Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-18

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 5.5)

It is forecasted that people may be using phone apps and other didgital wallets to pay for the things. I am partially agree with the notion that in the future, paying for the groceries and other items will be replaced by cards instead of cash. Contrary, some part of society will not be happy by paying through online platforms. This essay will intend to discuss reasons for the same with relevant examples.

Firtsly, One of the main reason to support this idea is that the government is promoting initiative to use the fair and convenient way of payment. For instance, in case of payment dispute, the buyer may have the valid proof of the payment to the meerchant. Furthermore, paying through online platforms will help the government to track the people's spending. It will be easy for them to track the fraudulents and thieves. In addition to it, this process will help the government by circulating the money flow in the economy.

On the other hand, some part of society is not happy with this decision and they want to use cash for paying for their things. Here are some reasons to support this idea. First of all, cash is the real value of money. For example, if we are paying cash to the shopkeeper the full amount will goes to him. Moreover, no tax on that smount to the merchant and buyer will also be exempted from the tax, thats how the real value of the moeny will defines.

To conclude, both aspects are right on their own way. But in my opinion, paying by cash is much convenient for the all sections of the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing whether cash will disappear and explaining why some people might be unhappy to give up cash. The writer establishes a position in the introduction stating "I am partially agree" and outlines reasons throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, the explanation regarding tax and cash having "real value" in the third paragraph is underdeveloped and relies on assertion rather than clear, extended reasoning. Furthermore, the final paragraph contradicts the earlier stance by stating "paying by cash is much convenient for the all sections of the society," which muddies the overall position. Overall, the task is addressed, but ideas lack the depth and extension required for a higher band. This warrants a band score of 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, showing a basic attempt at paragraphing. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward transitions and contradictory statements. While cohesive devices such as "Firstly," "Furthermore," "In addition to it," and "On the other hand" are used to structure the text, referencing and logical flow are sometimes faulty. For instance, the transition into the counter-argument is abrupt, and the conclusion introduces a confusing perspective that undermines the essay's logical progression. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion within paragraphs often feels mechanical or repetitive. These features place the response firmly in the band 5.5 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student attempts a range of vocabulary relevant to the topic, including terms like "digital wallets," "online platforms," and "payment dispute." However, there are numerous noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and collocation throughout the text. Examples include "didgital" (digital), "I am partially agree" (I partially agree), "meerchant" (merchant), "fraudulents" (fraudsters/fraudulent individuals), and "smount" (amount). Additionally, phrases like "cash is the real value of money" and "the full amount will goes to him" demonstrate a restricted lexical flexibility and frequent inaccuracies. While the vocabulary is adequate to convey the general message, these persistent errors limit the score to a 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as "It is forecasted that people may be using phone apps..." and "For instance, in case of payment dispute, the buyer may have the valid proof...". However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Notable errors include subject-verb agreement issues ("the full amount will goes to him"), incorrect prepositions ("happy by paying"), missing articles ("the valid proof", "the real value of the moeny will defines"), and awkward phrasing ("This essay will intend to discuss"). Because errors are frequent and recurrent across simple and complex structures, the performance aligns with band 5.0.

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

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