Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-18

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people.

Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

It is true that the number of young people in some countries is increasing compared to the elderly population in this modern era. While there are some drawbacks of this trend, I believe the merits outweigh the demerits.

There are a number of benefits of having more youngsters compared to elder people. One possible benefit is that the more we have the young generation the more a country has the opportunity to get working people in every sector. They can contribute to the national GDP and technological development. Furthermore, young people are enthusiastic and have the spirit to drive developmental changes of a country. Whenever they see an injustice, they protest and speak out against it. Older individuals are less likely to engage in such activism. For example, Bangladesh faced a revolutionary change. The young generation stood against the fascist prime minister and gained victory. This movement was led primarily by teenagers.

Despite the benefit mentioned above, having older people has some benefits too. To begin with, guiding the youngsters with their experience is a precious thing. Young people have power and energy nevertheless; they lack life experiences which they can get from their elders. Moreover, older people offer love and affection to a family. Having an elder in a household is a kind of blessing. They help to guide the family members and strengthen the family bond which young people cannot provide.

In contrast, although there are some positive effects of having more older people, I would argue that it would never replace the benefits of having more young people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of a young population, ultimately taking a clear position. The ideas are relevant, such as the economic contribution of young people and the wisdom of the elderly. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding the benefits of young people is well-supported with a specific example from Bangladesh, but the discussion on the disadvantages of a young population (or the advantages of an older one) is less thoroughly explored. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are developed with equal depth and that the conclusion provides a more comprehensive summary of the main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'To begin with', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better reflect the contrast between the two viewpoints. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the logical flow is maintained throughout the response, meeting the requirements for a solid band 6.5 or 7.0 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'fascist', 'activism', and 'developmental changes'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of repetitive phrasing, such as 'young people' and 'older people' being used frequently. Some collocations could be more natural; for example, 'get working people' could be improved to 'increase the size of the workforce'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning without difficulty, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a good attempt at using complex sentences, such as 'While there are some drawbacks of this trend, I believe the merits outweigh the demerits.' However, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as 'the more we have the young generation the more a country has the opportunity', which is syntactically awkward. Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and pluralization (e.g., 'having more older people'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching the 7.0 band. Focusing on sentence variety and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be beneficial.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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