Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-12

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 5.5)

Nowdays, some country have relatively young population only , with much larger number of young adults than the elder population .Although this situation can create some challenges , i believe that the advantanges outweigh the disadvantages , particularly because young people can contribute significantly to the economic growth and social development.

One major advantage of having young population is the availability of a large energatic , adaptable and willing to learn new skills .As a result they can contribute to the different sectors like agriculture , education , technology and industry. For example , countries with large number of young educated people can develop more economy more rapidly because there were more worker available to start bussinesses and introduce new ideas . Morever they can contribute in the inovation of new technological development.

However , younger population can reduce the pressure of pension and healthcare system . When there are more working people than citizens , governments can collect more taxes and use these fund for the development of new infrastructure . In addition , young people can become future parents , which helps maintain the population and ensures that there will be workers to support society in the future.

However , having a large portion of young people can also have some disadvantages . If there are not enough employment opportunities , many young adults may face unemployment dificulties . This can lead to the poverty , frustration and social problems .Futhermore , government should spend more in education , training and job opportunities .

In conclusion , large young population can create pressure on employment and public services , i believe that its benefits are greater . with proper employment opportunities ,young adults can become a driving force for economic growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of having a young population, presenting a clear position that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Ideas are extended and supported, such as mentioning economic growth, innovation, and relief for pension systems, as well as acknowledging unemployment and public service pressures. However, some arguments lack deep development, and there are occasional generalisations, such as 'younger population can reduce the pressure of pension and healthcare system,' which is factually backwards in the long term for workforce dynamics. Still, the response covers all core requirements adequately, aligning well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 range, earning a solid 6.0 for addressing the prompt with relevant main ideas throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'One major advantage', 'As a result', 'Morever', and 'However' are utilised to sequence information. However, some referencing and cohesion is mechanical, and there are mechanical errors in punctuation, such as spaces before commas. Progression is mostly clear overall, though the transition between paragraphs feels slightly abrupt at times. This performance reflects the Band 6 descriptors, where the essay shows a coherent overall arrangement despite some faulty or mechanical cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for the topic, including terms like 'economic growth', 'social development', 'adaptable', and 'infrastructure'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, such as 'Nowdays', 'energatic', 'dificulties', 'Futhermore', and 'inovation'. Collocations are sometimes awkward, for example, 'develop more economy more rapidly'. The vocabulary is adequate for the task and communication is not severely impeded, but the recurring spelling and morphological inaccuracies cap the score at Band 5.5, fitting the criteria for an adequate range with noticeable errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using relative clauses and conditional structures. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent missing articles ('with much larger number', 'having young population'), incorrect pluralisation and noun phrases ('some country', 'large energatic'), and punctuation errors before punctuation marks. While simple sentences are generally successful, attempts at more complex structures often introduce errors. Although these errors rarely completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the writing from reaching Band 6, placing it firmly at Band 5 due to frequent errors in grammar and word forms.

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

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