Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-31

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 6.5)

It is often argued that the present population in many nations has a larger figure of younger people compared to the number of older ones. I believe the advantages of fresh ideas and innovations significantly outweigh the disadvantages of losing older generation's experience and knowledge.

On the one hand, older people possess years of experience and expertise which are of great value to our community. Having spent years in solving problems, their advice can reduce errors. Therefore, when younger people outnumbers them, their valuable insights also get reduced. For example, top managers of a company who are mostly older in age, have more experience in a particular industry which helps the organization take more informed decision. By contrast, if important decisions involved younger employees' involvement, potential poor judgement would have existed. Therefore, people with expertise are important assets of our society and less participation from them can be problematic.

On the other hand, larger number of younger population means more innovative approaches and fresh ideas, which is the driving force of our modern world. Younger people are more involved in technological views and change management compared to many older people who are change resistant. As a result, the new generation brings more adaptation to the technological advancement and innovative views in the leadership approaches, opening new doors of opportunities and discoveries. Moreover, larger figure of older citizens can put huge financial burden on the governments through pension allocation, social benefits, old-age facilities and so on. Furthermore, more younger population means a large number of working-age people can contribute to the country which could not have been possible with more older population.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that the advantages of larger number of younger population outweigh the disadvantages of the situation by incorporating new ideas and innovation into our lives which are in demand for a futuristic world.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in the introduction and maintaining it throughout. The arguments are relevant, covering both the value of older generations and the economic/innovative benefits of a younger population. The ideas are extended and supported with examples, such as the mention of corporate decision-making and the financial burden of pensions. While the discussion is well-developed, it could be further strengthened by providing more specific real-world examples rather than general observations. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between the advantages and disadvantages is handled well using cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Referencing is generally clear, and paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. While some cohesive devices are used effectively, there is a slight reliance on simple connectors like 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore'. The flow of ideas is smooth, and the reader can easily follow the writer's line of reasoning throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning with some precision. The student uses topic-specific terms such as 'change management', 'pension allocation', and 'innovative approaches'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'larger figure of younger population' (a more natural phrasing would be 'a larger proportion of young people') and 'technological views'. However, these errors do not impede communication. The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, showing an attempt to use more sophisticated language to discuss complex social and economic issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over grammar, though some minor errors persist, such as subject-verb agreement ('when younger people outnumbers them') and article usage ('a large number of working-age people'). Despite these occasional slips, the majority of sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. The use of complex structures, such as conditional sentences ('which could not have been possible with more older population'), shows an attempt to vary the grammatical range, which is a positive feature of the writing.

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