Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-13

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 5.0)

In the future, people may no longer be able to pay for things in shops with cash. I think all payments will be made with cards in the futher.

I think that this will happen in the future. I feel technology is taking over our world and in a few years time lots of people will be replaced with technology. I think they would rather make use of cards than cash, because then they don't need people to take the cash and tills and therefore they can completely rely on technology.

People tend to get sick and with machines scanning the objects and people using cards to make the payments people won't have to work at tills. Labour is expensive and only using technology will cut the cost of salaries a lot.

Some people expecially older people won't like this. Older people don't like change and therefore they won't like this. Older people like things like they were before technology.

Other people may be scared of fraud and therefore they won't like it. It is so easy to clone cards and take peoples money out of their accounts before they even know it.

I think there is always advantages and disadvantages with anything in life. I think paying only with a card can have advantages, but also disadvantages and therefore we must do research before we decide on something like this.

I do think that in the near future people may no lo ger be able to pay with cash, but they will only use cards.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both parts of the question: you predict that cash will be replaced and give reasons some people may resist, especially older people’s discomfort with change and concerns about card fraud. Your position is clear, but the supporting ideas are brief and sometimes general; for example, the claim that technology will replace workers is not illustrated with a specific example, and the point about older people is repeated rather than developed. The conclusion also introduces the need for research without explaining what should be investigated. The response is 241 words, so it is 9 words below the required minimum; 15 words copied from the prompt were not counted. Develop each reason with a concrete example or explanation and meet the minimum length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the prediction and objections, and a concluding paragraph. This helps the reader follow the main points. However, progression is limited: the two paragraphs about technology and employment overlap, while the paragraph on older people repeats the same idea in consecutive sentences. Linking phrases such as “I think,” “therefore,” and “and” are used repeatedly, making connections feel mechanical rather than varied. The final paragraph also shifts to a general statement about advantages and disadvantages instead of drawing together the specific reasons discussed. Group related points more efficiently, use clearer references between ideas, and vary the ways you signal cause, contrast, and conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough basic vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “technology,” “fraud,” “clone cards,” and “cut the cost of salaries.” However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, particularly “I think,” “older people,” and “technology.” Some choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as “in the futher,” “expecially,” and “people to take the cash and tills”; these make parts of the response less clear. More precise language would help explain the effects of cashless payments and the concerns they create. For example, you could describe older people as “less comfortable with digital payment systems” and refer to “cashiers” or “checkout staff” rather than “people” at tills. Check spelling and collocations when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use mostly simple sentence patterns, with some attempts to connect clauses using “because,” “and,” and “therefore.” These structures communicate the main message, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “there is always advantages and disadvantages” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “Older people like things like they were before technology” has an unclear comparison structure. The sentence beginning “People tend to get sick and with machines scanning…” is also awkwardly constructed, making the relationship between the ideas difficult to follow. There are punctuation and sentence-boundary issues, including the isolated opening paragraph and inconsistent spacing. Practise accurate complex sentences, especially comparisons and cause-and-effect clauses, and proofread agreement and punctuation.

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

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