Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07

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 5.5)

Individuals may no longer be able to pay for things in shops using cash in the coming years. Every payments may have to be made by card or using phones. I think this will happen one day because card or phone transactions are faster and easier to trace for errors. Some people might not be excited to give up cash because they are not learned enough to carry out online transactions on their own and because of some money laundering businesses.

I believe cash transactions would eventually fade out because the online transactions are very swift and stress free. People no longer have to wait for a long time to get their huge amount of money counted. A major disadvantage is having to stand on long queue in the bank in order to make a cash withdrawal. It is very easy to trace errors that come with electronic transactions than cash transactions. This is because time,date,amount and reference of the transactions can be saved safely and ready to use if needed at any point.

Some people might not be able to give up cash because they are not intellectually sound enough to carry out electronic transactions on their own. A major example of these sets of people are the elderly who have spent most of their lives counting cash with no formal education. The fact that many of them may not be able to read as a result of the deteriorating eye sight makes them vulnerable to scammers who ready to take advantage of the situation. Another set of people who cannot do without cash are people who are actively involve in crimes, particuarly money laundrers. These people are may not be able to give up cash because it is the only way they don"t get caught by the authorities.

In conclusion, I think payments would be made by card or phones in the future because it is convenient and easy to trace for errors.Some people may not be able to give up cash transaction because they are not educationally sound and for crime purposes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you expect cash to disappear because electronic payments are faster and easier to trace, and you explain why some people may resist. The response addresses both parts of the question and gives relevant examples, including older people and those involved in money laundering. The explanation of transaction records is a useful supporting detail. However, some ideas are less fully developed than others: the claim that older people are “not intellectually sound enough” is broad and potentially unfair, and the link between limited education, eyesight and vulnerability to scams needs clearer explanation. The point about criminals is relevant but could be developed with a more precise example. More balanced, specific support would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two main reasons, and a conclusion that restates your position. This makes the overall line of argument understandable. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weakened by abrupt or unclear links. For example, the discussion moves from older people’s education to deteriorating eyesight and then to scammers without fully explaining each connection. The repeated use of “Some people” and “A major” also makes the organisation feel formulaic, while the conclusion largely repeats the introduction rather than drawing the points together. Use clearer referencing and vary linking expressions, ensuring each supporting sentence follows logically from the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your ideas, including “electronic transactions,” “cash withdrawal,” “reference,” and “money laundering.” There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “vulnerable to scammers.” However, noticeable word-choice, collocation and word-form errors reduce precision: “not learned enough,” “huge amount of money counted,” “actively involve in crimes,” and “money laundrers” are awkward or inaccurate. “Stress free” and “swift” are understandable but repetitive in meaning. Aim for natural collocations and precise, respectful descriptions of groups. Proofreading spelling and apostrophes would also help, as in “particularly” and “don’t.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a reason clause with “because” and a relative clause beginning “who have spent most of their lives.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors occur across sentence forms and agreement. Examples include “Every payments” instead of a singular or plural form, “these sets of people are,” and “These people are may not be able.” The sentence “the only way they don’t get caught” also needs a clearer grammatical construction. Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, particularly in “time,date,amount” and “errors.Some.” Work on subject–verb agreement, articles, and constructing clauses accurately; then check each sentence for a complete, correctly ordered verb phrase.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.