Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-21

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)

It is argued that in some countries it can be very difficult for elder people to earn well by having wholesome jobs despite the fact of having a good experience. Even though most of the prestigious jobs worldwide demand experience in well known firms and in contrast to younger generations, elder people obviously has more experience.

It is a widely acknowledged fact that better firms and companies usually look for the people who are young, well experienced, highly educated, more social and creative. They believe that a person who falls in a desired category can proved to be much more

beneficial to the company than a person who does not.

From here a basic idea is raised that most of the elder persons lacks education and they cannot work like youngsters. As this, they will not attract targeted clients and a company would go in loss.

In my opinion, we should give more opportunities to elder people most specifically the people above 50. They also deserve a chance for proving their abilities and skills. Developing companies must not ignore the fact that people aged above 50 are usually calm and full of real life experiences. It is also possible that they can have more potential than younger generations.

Moreover, I believe that society does not encourage old people to work. Basically in backward areas it is considered a taboo for elder people working and having jobs as it can raise to question their households and children that they are not taking enough care of their parents that is why they are opting for work in this age.

In conclusion, society should not discourage elder people to work. In this situation, most of the people has to be broad minded. This can also lead for betterment of social lifestyle and elder people will come to know their worth and potential.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes and solutions. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The causes are presented in the second and fourth paragraphs, but the arguments are slightly generalized and lack specific, concrete examples to support the claims. For instance, the mention of 'backward areas' is vague. The solutions are touched upon in the third and fifth paragraphs, but they remain at a superficial level, focusing more on general societal attitudes rather than concrete policy or corporate measures. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations and specific examples of how companies or governments can address this issue.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a central theme. There is a clear introduction and conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'From here a basic idea is raised' or 'As this'. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, the transitions between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow. The referencing is mostly clear, but the connection between the idea of 'taboo' in the fourth paragraph and the overall argument could be more effectively integrated into the main flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on some repetitive phrasing, such as 'elder people' and 'younger generations'. There are also some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'wholesome jobs' (which does not fit the context of employment) and 'go in loss' (should be 'suffer a loss'). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations related to employment, ageism, and corporate culture, and work on using less common vocabulary with greater accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'elder people obviously has' (should be 'have') and 'most of the people has' (should be 'have'). Additionally, there are errors in article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'lead for betterment' (should be 'lead to the betterment'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score for grammar.

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

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