Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-07

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 many countries today, the youth population outnumbers the elderly . Although an aging population can create imbalance on job market. I think young population can bring more economic and social benefit.

On the one hand, a large youth population is under pressure and it is serious problem. The biggest problem is unemployment. The larger number of population demand more jobs its create burden on government unless they don't create more opportunities. For example in Pakistan large number of people struggle for jobs vacancy it also demand a huge budget for youth population for better future but its create bad impact on our budget.

However, the advantages of having a young population is far substantial, while youth have fresh mind solve many issues. They are more energetic and freely adapted new technologies . They also contribute through the taxes which support the development of country .In addition less number of elderly create less burden on society .In contrast countries like Japan and Italy spend more budget on pension and elderly people care, countries with young population spend more budget on infrastructure and development.

In conclusion large number of youngsters cause problem like unemployment that put burden on government. It demand more invest on education ,health and infrastructure . Therefore, I believe the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages provided that government invest wisely in education and job market. On the negative, young population demand more jobs and opportunities and can create competition among people. On the positive side, youth are more energetic and intelligent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You answer the question and state a clear overall view: the benefits of a young population outweigh its drawbacks, provided governments invest wisely. You also identify relevant points, including unemployment, pressure on public budgets, young people’s energy and technology skills, and pension costs in ageing countries. However, several points are asserted rather than explained: for example, the claim that young people contribute through taxes is not developed, and the Pakistan and Japan/Italy examples lack specific supporting detail. The conclusion repeats points and introduces little new synthesis. The response is 247 words, three words below the required minimum; the eight words copied from the prompt are not counted. Develop one or two examples more fully and meet the minimum length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting a disadvantage, a paragraph weighing advantages, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “On the one hand,” “However,” and “In conclusion” help signal the direction of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and some connections are unclear. The sentence beginning “The larger number of population demand more jobs” moves quickly from demand for jobs to government responsibility and budget effects without clearly showing the links. The final paragraph also repeats the unemployment point before adding a second summary of positive and negative sides. Use clearer topic sentences, connect each claim to its explanation, and avoid repeating the same points in the conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “unemployment,” “opportunities,” “taxes,” “pension,” and “infrastructure.” There are also attempts at more precise expressions, such as “aging population” and “economic and social benefit.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning less clear: “job vacancy” does not fit the intended plural idea, and “fresh mind solve many issues” is not a natural expression. Repetition of “population,” “budget,” and “burden” also limits flexibility. Build a wider set of accurate phrases for employment, public spending, and demographic change, and check word forms and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional in “provided that government invest wisely” and a contrast introduced by “Although.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “Although an aging population can create imbalance on job market” is an incomplete clause, while “The larger number of population demand more jobs its create burden” has problems with agreement and sentence boundaries. Other examples include “the advantages … is” and “They are more energetic and freely adapted,” where agreement and verb forms are inaccurate. Practise complete clause structures, subject–verb agreement, and punctuation between independent clauses; then proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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