Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-27

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 today's fast-paced world, technology is grabbing all over the things. The main motive of this essay is that, in the future, tapping a card or mobile phone in shops will completely take over cash payments. I believe this will happen one day, even if there will be a few people who might get sad about not using cash, which I am going to elaborate on further.

Firstly, this cash system in shops nowadays is pretty good, as they have a till below, which can only be opened by the key or at the time of payment, and that will attract more thieves towards it. For example, a few days ago, one of my cousins, who is working at the convenience store, faced a theft while he was working at the store; 3 people wearing masks entered the store, put a gun to my cousin, and asked him to give all the cash available in the till. They took $3000 and vanished immediately. Furthermore, sometimes there is also a problem with change in many stores; which, paying by card or phone does not require any change to be given to the customer.

However, a few people of old age do not understand new technology and may make wrong transactions or get angry for not accepting the bills. The store employees might need to teach them so many things for one simple transaction, which can be so stressful. The stores that accept cash need to keep accounts for the cash payments, which will also increase the workload, but if they take payments through card or phone, it will go directly into their system.

In conclusion, using mobile or card payment will be much easier, safer, and faster than cash payments, though some people do not like to do payment without cash; this change is mandatory for the stores to do.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you expect card and phone payments to replace cash, and you identify reasons some people may resist, particularly older people’s difficulty with technology. The example of your cousin being robbed also supports the case for cashless payments, while the point about avoiding the need for change is relevant. However, the response develops the benefits of cashless systems more fully than the reasons people may be unhappy. The discussion of older customers is brief, and the workload point concerns stores rather than people’s reluctance to give up cash. Explain more directly why individuals might value cash, such as privacy, budgeting, or access when technology fails, and extend those ideas with examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the ideas generally progress from the advantages of cashless payments to possible resistance. Linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “However,” and “In conclusion” help signal this movement. Some connections are less clear: the first body paragraph begins by calling the cash system “pretty good,” but then describes its vulnerability to theft, which makes the paragraph’s direction confusing. The discussion of store accounting also shifts away from the question about why people may dislike giving up cash. Make each paragraph’s main purpose explicit and use transitions that show whether an example supports or contrasts with the central point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “transactions,” “till,” “workload,” and “cash payments,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “vanished immediately.” However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise: “technology is grabbing all over the things,” “the main motive of this essay,” and “do payment without cash.” Repetition of “cash,” “store,” and “payment” also limits flexibility. Aim for natural, precise expressions and vary key terms where appropriate; for example, describe technology as “becoming increasingly widespread” and refer to “making a cashless payment.” This would make your ideas clearer and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including relative clauses (“my cousin, who is working at the convenience store”) and a contrast introduced by “though.” Most of the message remains clear, but some grammatical errors and awkward sentence construction reduce accuracy. For example, “which, paying by card or phone does not require any change” has an unclear clause structure, and “some people do not like to do payment without cash” uses an incorrect grammatical pattern. The sentence beginning “The main motive of this essay is that” is also difficult to construct naturally. Practise forming clear clauses around your main point, and check articles, verb forms and sentence boundaries. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen the response.

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