Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-20

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 6.0)

In contemporary society, a substantial number of individuals use technology in almost all aspects of their lives. From paying utility bills to shop groceries online. It is believed that people will not use paper money to purchase things in the future, instead they will use digital currency.

It is assumed that in coming years a considerable number of consumers will use card or phones to shop; in addition, physical money will no longer be used. Buyers find this convenient to pay by digital currency because they do not need to carry a hefty amount with them. As the things are rapidly advancing we have seen a shift from cash to card. One of the underlying reasons can be that the paper money deteriorates with time. A number of coutries already taking steps to move towards cashless payment system. For instance, in the UAE, if a person does not have a credit or debit card, the governmnet has introduced other alternatives such as 'nol card', by which they can pay at various places. However, there are number of apps by which people can pay such as paypal, easy paisa, jazz cash. To illustrate, in Pakistan, a number of individuals working in the cities use easy paisa or jazz cash to send money to their homes in rural areas.

On the other hand, there might be some people who will not give up on cash. They mostly belong to boomer generation, who are not aware of technology and find it difficult to use it. Additionally, these people are more prone to fraud and scam. For instance, in Pakistan, every second day an elderly is being robbed online. They received a call that some unknown person accidentally sent money to their easy paise account and he is very poor and to send the money back they must share the OTP (one time password). As soon as they share the OTP their account will be empty.

From my perspective, I believe that in the future people will use card or phones to pay for things because these methods are convenient and keep them up to date about their expenses. Moreover, it is possible that there will be more options introduced in the future to pay for the things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both parts of the prompt: you predict a move towards cashless payments and explain why some people may resist, especially older people who are unfamiliar with technology or concerned about scams. Your position is clear in the opening and conclusion, and the examples from the UAE and Pakistan make the discussion relevant. The explanation of digital payment convenience is useful, while the prediction that cash will no longer be used is less fully supported; the response could acknowledge barriers such as limited access to phones or reliable internet. The scam example is vivid, but its connection to reluctance to give up cash could be stated more explicitly. More balanced development and qualification of your prediction would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting cashless payments, a paragraph on resistance, and a concluding opinion. Linking expressions such as “On the other hand,” “For instance,” and “From my perspective” help readers follow the main stages. The progression is generally logical, but some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “From paying utility bills to shop groceries online” is a fragment, and the shift from deteriorating paper money to the UAE’s nol card is not fully explained. The long scam example also takes up considerable space without a clear concluding link to the argument. Use complete topic sentences and make the relationship between each example and its point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “digital currency,” “cashless payment system,” “underlying reasons,” and “prone to fraud.” These choices help explain both the convenience of electronic payments and the concerns they may create. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “a substantial number” and “considerable number,” though these expressions are repeated and sometimes sound less natural than simpler alternatives. Several word-choice and spelling errors reduce precision, including “shop groceries,” “coutries,” “governmnet,” and “easy paise.” Some phrases, such as “boomer generation,” may sound overly broad or informal. Aim for accurate collocations and consistent spelling, and vary repeated terms such as “people” and “use.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a reason clause (“because they do not need to carry…”) and a conditional example (“if a person does not have…”). Meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain, and sentence control is uneven. “From paying utility bills to shop groceries online” is a sentence fragment; “A number of countries already taking steps” needs a finite verb; and “there are number of apps” is missing an article. There are also agreement and tense problems in “They received a call” and “an elderly is being robbed.” Review complete sentence formation, articles, subject–verb agreement, and consistent tense. More accurate control of these patterns would make your varied sentence forms clearer.

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