Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-29
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)
The total population in some countries consists of more number of young people compared with elderly people. I believe there is more advantages than disadvantages, because it helps the country to develop their economy and can research and find new opportunities in uninhabited areas.
One of the main advantages of this trend is that, when a country has large number of young people, it helps to increase the human resources. Young people can work efficiently than old ones because they are more productive and able to work more hours. Consequently, this will increase production in all sectors and leads to economical growth. Additionally, young people are skilled in bringing new ideas and technologically advanced. As a result, young people can delve into uninhabited places. For example, young people are very skilled to use AI technology, that helps them to access and research about space, underground and polar regions.
On the other hand, there are several demerits, if there is few elderly people in a country. Elderly people are more experienced and it helps to avoid mistakes. Old people knew both the past and present which make them to predict the future. Therefore, young generations need assistance from old ones to perform actions without making mistakes. For example, nowadays, young ones are more urged to engage in violent activities without knowing consequences. If adults stay with them, they can prevent them from falling on pit falls to an extent.
In my opinion even though, elderly populations can be provide advice, I think an increase in number of young adults may help the development of the countries in all sectors.
In conclusion, countries have large proportion of young people than elderly population. I think advantages outweigh the disadvantages of this trend. Because young people contribute to labour force and it leads to economical growth and it also allows them to open new doors in remote locations.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position that the advantages of a youth-heavy population outweigh the disadvantages. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as human resources and technological proficiency. However, there is a tendency to over-generalise and some supporting arguments are slightly repetitive. The introduction and conclusion clearly state the writer's stance, and the main body paragraphs effectively cover both the economic benefits and the experiential drawbacks. Overall, the task is addressed well, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a clear overall progression with a recognizable introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'One of the main advantages', 'On the other hand', and 'For example' are used to connect ideas, though some transitional phrasing feels mechanical or slightly repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct arguments about advantages and disadvantages. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional minor cohesion lapses occur, such as in the concluding sentences where ideas overlap slightly.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'uninhabited places', 'economical growth' (though 'economic' is more precise), and 'technologically advanced'. There are some word choice and collocation errors, such as 'more number of young people' instead of 'a greater number', and 'falling on pit falls' instead of 'falling into pitfalls'. However, these lexical errors do not impede communication, and the overall vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional and relative clauses. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('there is more advantages', 'there is few elderly people') and awkward phrasing ('Elderly people are more experienced and it helps to avoid mistakes'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while the errors are frequent, they rarely impede overall communication, placing the writing firmly in the Band 6 category.
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