Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-05

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 recent years, technology has shown significant growth. As a result, humans have developed many online applications for payments. Many people say that people will not pay their bills by using cash instead cashless transactions will be more common in the future. From my perspective, there are high chances that people will give up on cash payments because other payment options are much more safer and more convenient. This essay will outline the reasons for this development and future possibilities.

To begin, there are high chances that people will give high priority to online transactions because in recent years, petty crimes such as pickpocketing and snatching has considerably increased. Due to the fear of being robbed on the street, many people have stopped keeping large amount of cash with them. Concurrently, online payments have become easy, safe and secure. Young people in our society have welcomed new form of payments and they also encourage their family members to do the same.

Conversely, conservative people may hesitate to trust online system because online scams and frauds that are continuously rising which raise a serious concern over security. Furthermore, they say that keeping their life saving in a bank is not very convincing option because bank often change their clauses and some times, they do not allow withdrawal. For example, customers are allowed to withdraw only 2000 in a day. People may loose control over their money due to such restrictions.

To sum up, although banks have made some clauses to restrict withdrawal, it may increase the safety. Payments through card and by a bank will increase to control over petty crimes. Online transactions are widely accepted across the world now so there are high chances that it will continue in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the question: you predict that cashless payments will become more common and explain why some people may resist them, especially because of scams and limits on withdrawals. Your position is clear, and examples such as pickpocketing and a daily withdrawal limit make the discussion relevant. However, the prediction that cash will eventually disappear is not fully distinguished from the more limited claim that cashless payments will increase. The reasons for resistance are also developed more fully than the likelihood of a complete move away from cash. Explain whether cash will vanish or simply become less common, and extend the supporting examples to show why this change is likely or unlikely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph supporting cashless payments, a contrasting paragraph about concerns, and a conclusion. The progression from convenience and crime to security worries is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “To begin,” “Furthermore,” and “To sum up” help signal the stages. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some flexibility in presenting contrast. At times, however, the links feel mechanical, and “Conversely” introduces concerns without clearly connecting them to the previous point. The conclusion also repeats earlier claims rather than drawing the two sides together. Use more precise referencing and transitions, and make the final paragraph synthesise the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “cashless transactions,” “petty crimes,” “online scams,” “withdrawal,” and “restrictions.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and some less common expressions are attempted. However, several word-choice and collocation problems reduce naturalness: “give high priority to online transactions,” “new form of payments,” and “control over petty crimes” do not express the intended meanings precisely. There are also spelling or form errors such as “life saving” and “loose” where “lose” is intended. Aim for accurate, natural combinations, such as “prioritise digital payments,” “new forms of payment,” and “help reduce petty crime.” Proofreading spelling and word forms will strengthen clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including cause-and-effect clauses beginning “As a result” and “Due to the fear,” as well as a contrast clause in the conclusion. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur across the response. For example, “pickpocketing and snatching has” needs plural agreement, while “large amount of cash” needs an article or plural form. The sentence beginning “because online scams and frauds” is incomplete, and “it may increase the safety” has an unclear subject reference. There are also errors in forms such as “people will not pay … instead cashless transactions…” where punctuation and sentence structure need repair. Practise checking agreement, articles, complete clauses, and sentence boundaries.

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