Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-28

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, people aged over 50 face difficulties to access job opportunities even if they have enough expertise. The main cause of this problem is that elderly are usually believed physically weak and the least ability to concentrate for long hour. This problem can be solved by consuming healthy diet and exercising, and they should be tested based on their work experience before admitting in a job.

In terms of causes, a main cause is that people aged over 50 are typically associated with having less physical ability to perform tasks. They are said to rest and to guide grandchildren at home due to lack of ability to perform intense labor. Therefore, businesses and companies require young people who have ability to actively participate and manage tasks energetically instead of elders. Another main reason is that they are also more likely to fall prey to diseases and illnesses such as pain in muscles. Moreover, they may have less mental ability to manage tasks and concentrate for long-hours. For instance, if a person a enough experience to perform a task but he has less physical ability to perform the task. As a result, he may fail to fulfil targets. Therefore, companies usually provide job opportunities for them.

This problem can be solved by taking some measures. Firstly, elders should be instructed to eat healthy food which would be beneficial for making their body strong and help in functioning. Moreover, they should exercise on a daily basis which would be helpful for physical movement. Another important measure is that companies should conduct a specific test for elders before admitting in a company. This would be helpful to check their ability to perform. In addition, they should be given a position in an organization based on their expertise. These solution would be beneficial for individuals as well as organizations.

In conclusion, a major cause of lack of job opportunities for elders is a factual concept that they are believed physically and mentally weak. The problem can be sorted out by self-care and also by testing them to check their expertise.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes and solutions. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and relies on generalizations. For example, the suggestion that older people should simply 'eat healthy food' to solve age-based employment discrimination is a superficial solution that does not address systemic or corporate biases. While the position is clear, the arguments lack depth and professional insight. To reach a higher band, you should focus on more sophisticated causes, such as technological shifts or salary expectations, and propose structural solutions like government incentives for hiring older workers or retraining programs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression from causes to solutions. You use cohesive devices such as 'In terms of,' 'Moreover,' and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'Therefore, companies usually provide job opportunities for them,' which contradicts the premise of the essay. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing like 'good jobs,' 'physical ability,' and 'healthy food.' There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'admitting in a job' and 'fall prey to diseases.' To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to the labor market, such as 'ageism,' 'professional development,' 'workforce demographics,' or 'cognitive decline.' Expanding your range of synonyms will help you avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the elderly' instead of 'elderly'), prepositions ('admitting in a company' instead of 'hiring for a company'), and verb forms ('if a person a enough experience' is missing a verb). These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of articles, and try to incorporate more varied complex sentence structures to demonstrate greater control.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.