Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-07-28
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
The ease of international travel and the spread of various kinds of mass media all over the world have made it more possible than ever for people to know how other people live in other countries.
Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.
Student answer (Band 7.0)
It is widely accepted that the economy is progressing to become fully digital in the coming times, which suggests that the public would not be able to use cash anymore for payments and likely all the transactions will be done by either card or using phones. Although it is challenging to adopt new technology, I agree that this is most certain to happen in the future as the advantages associated with this trend in the terms of convenience and corruption prevention outweigh the drawbacks.
To commence with, the primary catalyst for the trend to go paperless and use digital currency is convenience. Since people do not need to carry large amounts of cash with them in order to do shopping, using cards or paying through phones give them comfort and flexibility to shop without the worry of the money being lost or stolen. Furthermore, the revolution which this breakthrough innovation has brought is preventing corruption at many levels. This is because the corrupt officials cannot hide the black money earned by unethical means if all the transactions are done digitally. As a result, the society as a whole strives towards growth and development.
On the contrary, despite the merits there are some demographics for whom it is a complex process and they are not in favour of giving up using cash. The contributing factor is the challenge to adopt the latest technology which is especially difficult for the people of graying society. Since they are so used to spending cash it is cumbersome for them to learn new ways of money transactions. For instance, elderly people get problems with setting up pre-authorized payments for monthly credit card payments and needed assistance for the same. Hence the above example illustrates why they do not want to give up cash to avoid formidable situations.
In conclusion, while it is undeniable that new technology involving cashless payments is tech-intensive and may need some guidance for some parts of the populace, the significant benefits such as of convenience and transparency are far more compelling and therefore in my opinion this change is certain.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks about the impact of international travel and mass media on cultural awareness, but the student has written an essay about the transition to a digital, cashless economy. While the essay is well-structured and coherent, it fails to address the specific task instructions provided. According to the IELTS criteria, if a response is largely off-topic, it must be penalised heavily in Task Achievement. Because the student did not address the prompt at all, the score for this criterion is significantly impacted, as the ideas presented do not relate to the question asked.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
Despite the off-topic content, the essay demonstrates a good command of logical organisation. The response is divided into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic sentence. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', 'On the contrary', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow, showing a clear structure that would be appropriate for a task-compliant essay. The paragraphing is sufficient and contributes to the overall flow of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey their ideas with precision. Phrases such as 'primary catalyst', 'unethical means', 'graying society', and 'formidable situations' demonstrate a good level of lexical control. There is an awareness of style and collocation, and the vocabulary is generally appropriate for an academic context. While there are no highly sophisticated or idiomatic expressions, the range is more than adequate for the task, and there are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is evidence of complex grammar, such as the use of conditional clauses and relative clauses (e.g., 'Since they are so used to spending cash it is cumbersome for them to learn...'). While there are occasional minor errors, such as 'in the terms of' (should be 'in terms of') and 'get problems with' (should be 'have problems with'), the majority of sentences are error-free. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the grammatical control is consistent throughout the piece.
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