Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-04

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)

In this technological world, technology revolution is happening at a great speed in every sector. In recent times people are using cards more than cash and they feel like is easier to carry card over cash.Nowadays, majority payments are done by cards. On the otherside, some people still using cash and they feel cash is easier for them and they do not want to upgrade their payment method. In this eassy I will discuss both the points and I opine that in future cards will overshadow the cash payment.

To commence with, in recent times everybody is using their phones and they use all the UPI and netbanking application to pay there day to day life expences.For example, people are paying with cards in all the cafes and shopping mall. Secondly, many companies give them a big discounts and offers if they pay via cards. Because of that there business is getting profit and banks also gets new clients. To examplify, big companies like ZARA, Nike and others are giving huge offers if you pay via cards or do online payments rather than cash payment.

According to toronto times after covid pandemic 90% people start using online payment mode in each and every where.

However, some people still love to use traditional method for paying there bills. Senior citizen are still using cash method because they are comfortable with that. Old age people are not get comfortable with state of the art technology and there are lots of scams also happen with them. For instance, Senior citizens are easy target for scams while doing online payment. So they think cash is easy and safe method for them.

To conclude that, I believe that online method will used by almost every time but cash will not totally neglect.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task, discussing both whether a cashless future will happen and why some people might be reluctant to give up cash. There is a clear position presented in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the arguments regarding the benefits of online payments and the reasons older people prefer cash are relevant, some points are under-developed or lack extension. For example, the mention of the Toronto Times adds a relevant external reference, but the details remain quite general. To reach a higher level, the ideas would need more thorough explanation, deeper elaboration, and more fully realized supporting examples without relying on broad generalizations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at logical progression. The text is divided into appropriate paragraphs, starting with an introduction, moving to body paragraphs covering both aspects of the prompt, and concluding with a final summary. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'To commence with', 'Secondly', and 'However'. Nevertheless, referencing is sometimes not entirely clear, and the use of cohesive devices occasionally feels mechanical or repetitive. For instance, transitional phrases link sentences together, but the logical flow between certain ideas could be smoother. To achieve a higher standard, the organizational structure needs to demonstrate a more sophisticated and flexible use of cohesion, ensuring that relationships between paragraphs and sentences are seamless and unobtrusive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'technological world', 'revolution', 'overshadow', and 'state of the art technology'. However, there are notable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word formation, alongside some spelling and referencing errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'is easier to carry card over cash', 'majority payments', 'eassy', 'there day to day life expences', 'big discounts', 'their business is getting profit', 'banks also gets', 'Senior citizen are still using', and 'Old age people are not get comfortable'. To move beyond this level, the vocabulary needs to be used with greater precision, and spelling as well as word formation errors must be significantly reduced to ensure natural and fluent expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to construct varied sentences. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text. Noticeable issues involve article usage, subject-verb agreement, pluralization, and prepositional patterns. Examples of these grammatical slips include 'people are using cards more than cash and they feel like is easier', 'some people still using cash', 'everybody is using their phones and they use all the UPI and netbanking application to pay there day to day life expences', 'big companies like ZARA, Nike and others are giving huge offers', '90% people start using', and 'online method will used by almost every time but cash will not totally neglect'. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they are persistent. A wider variety of error-free complex structures with tighter grammatical control is required to reach a higher band.

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