Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28

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 6.5)

In the not so distant future, technology will become a big part of our everyday life, with new innovations and leaps that make our life much easier. Thus, replacing cash with digital forms of payment is very much possible and will surely happen in a few years. This would be a welcome change for majority of the people, however, there will definetly be those who will be worried of trusting technology completely with their money and not having any form of physical cash to use in case of any failures.

In todays world even, we are witnessing the rise of digital payments in a large number of countries around the world. Companies like Apple, Google and Samsung have launched their own wallet applications that have rediced the needs of carrying physical wallets. Hence, this technology is not a science-fiction dream, and is a concrete reality we are heading towards. However, we are just at the beginning, and cash is still accepted, and preffered at many stores, simply because of its convinience and simplicity. But, it is only a matter of time untill the tech becomes more prevalent and cash becomes redundant to carry.

Interestingly, that would not be an easy task as there will be those who would not want to give away their physical cash and cards away to trust their entire financing on machines and applications. People like having the security of carrying their money on them and keeping track of it themselves, instead of it just being a number on their devices that goes up and down. Moreover, many people fear that if there are any data breaches in these services or temporary shutdowns, they will not be able to make transactions and their money and personal information could be stolen.

In a nutshell, the world in which physical cash and cards are replaced by digital currency is not far from reality. But, people may fear to completly get rid of their cash due to its more security and simplicity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt well. The student clearly states their position on whether cash will be replaced in the future and provides reasons why some people might be hesitant to give up physical currency, such as security concerns and a lack of trust in digital systems. Ideas are extended and supported with examples like mobile wallet applications. However, some arguments could be explored in slightly greater depth to reach a higher band. For instance, the discussion on security could be expanded to mention specific vulnerable demographics, such as the elderly. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a clear and consistent position throughout, meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are presented in a coherent sequence, supported by appropriate paragraphing where each paragraph has a distinct focus. The student uses a variety of cohesive devices such as 'Thus', 'Hence', 'However', and 'Moreover' to link ideas, although there are minor mechanical transitions. Referencing is generally clear, such as using 'this technology' to refer back to digital wallet applications. Overall, the logical structure and cohesive flow align well with the descriptors for a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, allowing for some flexibility and precision with terms like 'prevalent', 'redundant', 'data breaches', and 'temporary shutdowns'. There are a few spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'rediced' instead of 'reduced', 'preffered' instead of 'preferred', 'untill' instead of 'until', and 'completly' instead of 'completely'. Despite these occasional lexical errors, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning clearly without impeding communication, fitting comfortably into the Band 6.0 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with attempts at subordination and relative clauses. There are several grammatical and mechanical errors present, including spelling mistakes ('definetly', 'todays'), punctuation oversights, and occasional awkward phrasing such as 'give away their physical cash and cards away to trust their entire financing on machines'. However, the majority of simple sentences are accurate, and the errors do not impede communication. This balance of a mixed structure with noticeable, non-impeding errors reflects the Band 6.0 descriptors.

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