Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-13

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some countries, it can be very difficult for people over the age of 50 to get good jobs, despite their experience.

What do you think are the causes of this problem, and what measures could be taken to solve it?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In many countries, it can be very difficult for people over the age of 50 to get good jobs, despite their experience. This situation creates several problems, such as financial pressure on older people and loss of productivity in the workplace. However, there are effective measures such as stronger employment policies and financial assistance to people above 50, are taken to overcome it.

One of the major problems of this situation is financial problems faced by older people. This is because if a person over the age of 50 cannot find a good job, they may have to accept a lower salary. For example, an experienced professional may have to accept a lower-level position such as a clerical job, which could result in a lower salary and create financial pressure. Another serious problem is loss of productivity in the workplace. If a company replace the experienced professional with the inexperienced employee, they may achieve less effective result because younger employee may not know how to deal with the complex workplace challenges.

To solve these problems, the government should introduce policy to prevent age discrimination in recruitment. If companies are encouraged to offer suitable positions to older people, these may have greater access to well-paid employment. In addition, the government should provide financial assistance to people over 50 through government schemes. For instance, government should provide financial support to unemployed people over 50 while they search for suitable employment.

In conclusion, these situation might place financial pressure on older people and reduce productivity in workplace. However, these issue can be addressed through stronger employment policy and financial support schemes. If both government and companies make equal efforts then the people over 50 may get good jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes and solutions. However, the analysis of causes is somewhat limited. You identify financial pressure and loss of productivity, but the explanation of why these occur is repetitive. For instance, the link between age and productivity is asserted rather than deeply explored. The solutions are relevant but remain somewhat generic, such as 'stronger employment policies.' To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples of how these policies would function in practice. The position is clear throughout, but the development of ideas lacks the depth required for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'For example,' 'In addition,' and 'However,' which are effective. However, the transition between ideas is sometimes mechanical. For example, the start of the second paragraph, 'One of the major problems of this situation is financial problems,' is repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'these situation') is grammatically accurate would improve the flow and coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'recruitment,' 'productivity,' and 'financial assistance.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a tendency to repeat words like 'problems,' 'financial,' and 'people.' There are also minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'achieve less effective result' instead of 'achieve less effective results' or 'less effective outcomes.' To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations related to the labor market to show a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('these situation' instead of 'this situation'; 'these issue' instead of 'these issues') and missing articles ('introduce policy' instead of 'introduce a policy'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for singular/plural agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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