Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-26

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 future, all the payments might be done by card or scanning phones as people will no longer be able to pay by cash. I believe that this might happen soon because technology is spreading everywhere.

In coming years, the shopping might become cashless as people now use the technology friendly devices to ease their life. For some people carrying large amount of cash in purse or wallet feels like carrying a responsibility. For instance, if someone has to pay certain millions at a shop, it is easier for him to do the payment by using card or digital tools. Moreover, if he uses the conventional method of paying through cash, he has to put the cash in a suitcase for payment.

Although cashless payments are convenient, certain individuals might also not be happy using this system. As some people are not tech friendly, it might feel difficult for them to use digital tools for payment. Another key consideration is that they dont trust the bank systems. They dont think that these bank systems are secure enough to keep their money. They have a fear that their bank credentials might get hacked and they might lose their money due to lack cybersecurity in their country. For instance, an old man who has saved his hard-earned money in his bank account. One day he gets a call from a random number claiming to be his bank manager and asks for his bank credentials. The old man believes him and sendhis details and got his bank account hacked.

In conclusion, the cashless payments might become popular due to technology and convenience. Yet, it would be a security threat for some individuals due to lack of strong cybersecurity systems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both parts of the question: you predict that cashless shopping may become common and explain why some people would resist it, particularly because they are unfamiliar with technology or fear fraud. Your position is clear, and the examples of paying a very large sum and the older man receiving a fraudulent call help make the points relevant. However, the prediction that this change will happen “soon” is asserted rather than supported, and the first example is somewhat extreme and does not explain how likely cashless payment is in ordinary shopping. The security concern is developed more fully than the prediction. To strengthen the response, explain the conditions that could make cash disappear and develop the reasons with more representative examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting the move towards cashless payments, a paragraph on objections, and a conclusion. The contrast signalled by “Although” and the summary introduced by “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. Within paragraphs, however, some links feel mechanical, and the progression from convenience to the suitcase example is not fully explained. The final example is also presented as a sequence of events without a clear link back to the broader point about why people may distrust cashless systems. Use linking phrases more selectively and make the relationship between each example and its main idea explicit. This would make the progression more consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “cashless payments,” “digital tools,” “bank credentials,” and “cybersecurity,” which allows you to discuss convenience and risk clearly. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “hard-earned money.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “technology friendly devices,” “ease their life,” and “lack cybersecurity” do not sound idiomatic in context. “Certain millions” is also unclear, and “conventional method” is less precise than the context requires. These choices do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision. Aim to learn common collocations for technology, payment, and security, and check word forms and spelling, including “don’t” and “cybersecurity.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including conditional phrasing (“if someone has to pay…”) and a contrast clause beginning “Although.” The main ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “In future” and “In coming years” need articles, while “carrying large amount of cash… feels” has a number-agreement problem. The sentence beginning “As some people are not tech friendly” is a fragment, and the example about the old man shifts between present and past forms (“believes… send… got”). There are also punctuation and sentence-boundary issues. Work on complete clause structure, consistent tense in examples, and agreement; then proofread for articles and punctuation while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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