Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-09

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 today's digital world, consumers increasingly prefer using digital currency through physical cards or mobile applications rather than relying on cash. I believe this shift is happening for several reasons, although some people still dislike these changes.

The main reason digital currency is becoming more popular is convenience and accessibility. It is travel- friendly makes online shopping easier. people can use credit cards, which allow them to make payments even if they do not have enough money in their bank account at the moment. For example, most banks provide credit cards with certain limit that customers can pay back later. In addition, digital payments offer automatic expense tracking, which is not possible with paper money. These features make digital currency more practical for everyday use.

However, some people, especially seniors, hesitate to use digital currency because they are not familiar with mobile applications or card payments. For them, learning new technology can be challenging, and they may feel uncomfortable or unsafe using digital methods. A 2025 survey showed that many senior citizens who are not used to digital payments are against fully replacing cash with digital money.

In conclusion, digital currency offers many benefits such as safety, convenience, and easy tracking. Nevertheless, senior who are not frequent users of technology often feel frustrated and prefer to continue using cash.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the prompt: you suggest that digital payments are becoming more popular and explain why some people, particularly seniors, may resist giving up cash. Your position is clear, and examples such as credit cards and a survey help make the discussion relevant. However, the prediction about whether cash will eventually disappear is only implied; state directly whether you think this will happen and explain why. The reasons for resistance are also less developed than the benefits: unfamiliarity and feeling unsafe are mentioned, but not illustrated in detail. The response is below the required 250 words, so there is limited space for developing these points. Extend the discussion with a specific example or explanation for each part of the question.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on the advantages of digital payments, a paragraph on resistance, and a conclusion. The progression from benefits to concerns is easy to follow, and signposts such as “However” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. To strengthen the organisation further, make the link between your opening position and the question’s prediction more explicit, and ensure each paragraph develops one central point fully. The benefits paragraph moves quickly from convenience to credit and expense tracking, while the concerns paragraph could connect unfamiliarity and safety concerns more clearly. Some transitions are therefore a little abrupt, but the overall sequence remains logical and understandable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “digital currency,” “automatic expense tracking,” “mobile applications,” and “fully replacing cash.” These choices make the subject clear, and some phrases show an attempt to be precise. There are, however, several awkward or imprecise expressions, such as “travel-friendly,” “certain limit,” and “senior” in the conclusion. “Digital currency” is also used repeatedly where “digital payments” would be more accurate for card and phone transactions. Aim for more natural collocations and vary repeated terms. For example, you could describe payments as “convenient for travel” and refer to older people as “senior citizens” or “older adults.” These refinements would make your vocabulary more accurate and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and most of the meaning is clear. For instance, “For them, learning new technology can be challenging” is a well-formed sentence, and the contrast introduced by “although” is effective. Some grammatical errors remain, including the incomplete construction “It is travel- friendly makes online shopping easier,” the missing article in “with certain limit,” and the singular form “senior” where a plural or a suitable noun phrase is needed. The sentence beginning “people can use credit cards” also starts with a lowercase letter after a full stop. Review sentence boundaries, articles, and agreement, and check that each sentence has a complete grammatical structure.

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