Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-13

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)

Currently, the demographic structure of several nations is leaning toward a larger population of young adults compared to the elderly. In my opinion, the advantages of a predominantly young population significantly outweigh the potential drawbacks.

On the one hand, young adults serve as a powerful engine for the country's social and economic growth and development. They are more adaptive, innovative, and eager to acquire modern skills, making them vital assets in today's fast-changing labour market. Young entrepreneurs establish new ventures, working tirelessly to drive more production and economic growth overall. Today's high digital literacy enables young adults to excel in the modern technological sector. Beyond business, a dynamic youth demographic fosters active civic engagement, encouraging governments to address pressing social concerns and promote policy reforms.

On the other hand, a larger youth population presents noticeable infrastructure challenges. The demand rises for quality education, better health facilities and employment. This fosters intense competition leading to unemployment if national infrastructure fails to expand at the same time.

In conclusion, although a high concentration of the young adult population increases competition for limited resources, overall the contributions of a dynamic and skillful youth to the country's long-term goal make this trend far more advantageous.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response successfully addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of a predominantly young population and clearly states a position in the introduction. The ideas presented, such as the economic boost from young entrepreneurs and the infrastructure challenges, are relevant and reasonably well-supported. However, the response has a significant word count limitation, containing only 201 words, which falls well short of the 250-word minimum requirement for Task 2. Consequently, this prevents the ideas from being fully developed to the level required for higher bands. Because the length requirement was not met, the task achievement score is capped and appropriately reflects this under-length constraint, aligning best with Band 5.0 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a clear logical organization with a recognizable introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides of the argument, and a concise conclusion. Transitional phrases like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the structure. Paragraphing is handled sufficiently, separating the opposing viewpoints logically. Referencing is generally clear, and cohesive devices are employed without being overly mechanical. Although the text is brief, the progression of ideas flows smoothly from one point to the next, satisfying the criteria for Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6.0 in terms of structural coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Words and phrases such as 'demographic structure', 'powerful engine', 'labour market', and 'civic engagement' show an attempt to use less common and topic-specific lexical items with reasonable control. Word choice is mostly precise, and spelling is accurate throughout the text. While there is not an extensive or highly sophisticated range of uncommon vocabulary due to the short overall length of the essay, the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate ideas clearly without impeding the reader's understanding, fitting comfortably into Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response features a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as participial phrases ('making them vital assets') and subordinate clauses ('although a high concentration...'). The majority of the sentences are grammatically accurate, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout the essay. Errors are extremely rare, which is a strong point, though the range of complex structures remains somewhat limited by the brevity of the response. Because grammatical control is robust and communication is never impeded, this criterion exceeds the lower bands and aligns well with Band 7.0.

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

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