Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-19
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)
In this era, some nations have a significant number of youngsters as compared to the older ones. Young adults are the backbone of a country; a country's future is directly dependent on its youth. This essay will discuss both advantages and disadvantages with relevant reasons and examples.
On the one hand, Youngsters play an important role in building up a nation's future and what amount of success it would obtain. As young adults have more capability to do a task with more effort and courage. For instance, if two persons with gap of like one is a youngster and the other one is an old man tends to perform a task then the young one will do much better than the old one.
On the other hand, if we discuss the disadvantages as we all know that the younger a person is the less amount of experience he would have. For example, if someone is doing a duty for the first time in comparison to a person who has done that work many times then in conclusion, the person with more proficiency would do that task more accurately that the fresher. So, the old members in a community also play an important role in maintaining the society.
Overall, I believe that the idea of having more young people carries more weight as the youngsters are the building block of a society and it would be more beneficial for a nation that it has a great number of youths with fresh and sharp mind and more ability to do a duty. Comparatively, old ones are inferior in almost every situation in giving benefits to a country.
In essence, there would be more advantages in having a large number of young adults, compared with the number of old people. I strongly believe that it is more favorable.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of having a young population, and a clear position is stated in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and relies on sweeping generalisations rather than well-supported arguments. For instance, the comparison between a youngster and an old person performing a task is vague and simplistic, concluding that 'old ones are inferior in almost every situation in giving benefits to a country.' This reflects an extreme stance and lacks nuanced support. While all parts of the task are addressed, the depth of argumentation aligns with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a logical overall structure, with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides of the issue, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' are employed to guide the reader through the arguments. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as starting a sentence with 'As young adults have more capability...' which results in a fragment. Overall progression is present, but cohesion lacks flexibility and smoothness.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their ideas effectively. There are attempts to use less common items and appropriate phrases, such as 'backbone of a country' and 'fresh and sharp mind.' However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'gap of like one is a youngster' and referring to older people as 'old ones are inferior in almost every situation.' Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical range is somewhat restricted and repetitive.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over complex forms is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including sentence fragments ('As young adults have more capability to do a task with more effort and courage.') and punctuation issues. Subject-verb agreement and comparative structures also show slips, such as 'the younger a person is the less amount of experience he would have.' These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, placing the grammar at a Band 5.0 level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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