Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-01

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 7.5)

In some countries, people over the age of 50 find it increasingly difficult to secure good employment, even though they have considerable professional experience. This problem is caused by several factors, including age discrimination and changes in the modern workplace. However, governments and employers can take a number of measures to address it.

One major cause is age discrimination. Some employers believe that older workers are less adaptable, less energetic, or less familiar with modern technology than younger employees. As a result, they may prefer to hire younger candidates, even when older applicants have greater experience and qualifications. For example, a company looking for an employee to manage a digital marketing team might choose a younger applicant because they assume that younger people are more comfortable with social media and new software. Another reason is that older employees may expect higher salaries because of their experience, while younger workers are often willing to accept entry-level wages.

Another important factor is the rapid development of technology. Many jobs now require employees to use new software, artificial intelligence and digital communication systems. Workers who have spent most of their careers using traditional methods may find it difficult to keep up with these changes. Consequently, their existing experience may become less valuable unless they update their skills.

Several measures could help solve this problem. Firstly, governments could provide free or subsidised training programmes specifically designed for older workers. These programmes could teach digital skills, modern software and other abilities required in today's labour market. Secondly, companies should evaluate candidates according to their skills and experience rather than their age. Governments could also introduce stronger laws against age discrimination and encourage businesses to employ people from different age groups.

In addition, companies could benefit from combining the experience of older employees with the technological knowledge of younger workers. For instance, an experienced manager could work alongside a younger employee who has strong digital skills. This would allow both workers to learn from each other while benefiting the organisation.

In conclusion, the difficulty faced by older workers is mainly related to age discrimination, changing workplace requirements and the rapid development of technology. Providing opportunities for retraining and ensuring fair recruitment practices could help older people remain active and productive in the labour market.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the task well, providing clear causes for employment difficulties among older workers, such as age discrimination and technological shifts, along with practical measures like subsidised training programmes and stronger legislation. The position is clear throughout the text, and ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as the digital marketing team scenario. While the arguments are well-developed, reaching the highest band would require even deeper exploration of broader socio-economic impacts or more nuanced evaluation of employer perspectives. Nevertheless, the response successfully satisfies all requirements of the prompt with a logical and comprehensive approach.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the essay. The writer makes effective use of paragraphing to structure the response, moving smoothly from the introduction to causes, technological factors, solutions, and a final conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'One major cause', 'Another important factor', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In addition' are used flexibly to guide the reader through the arguments. Referencing is consistently clear, and the overall arrangement is coherent. To achieve the highest band, cohesion could be made slightly more seamless and unobtrusive, avoiding any mechanical reliance on transitional markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The writer demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, incorporating less common lexical items such as 'secure good employment', 'subsidised training programmes', and 'fair recruitment practices'. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate, and spelling is correct throughout. Occasional slips in precision prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher level of sophistication. To move towards the top band, the writer could integrate more idiomatic expressions, advanced academic collocations, and a wider variety of precise phrasing to express complex ideas with greater nuance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The essay displays an impressive command of grammatical structures, featuring a wide range of complex sentences with dependent clauses, conditional structures, and passive forms. The vast majority of sentences are completely error-free, demonstrating excellent control of verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, articles, and punctuation. Only very occasional minor slips occur, reflecting a high level of grammatical proficiency. To maintain error-free consistency across even more complex syntactical patterns, the writer would need to eliminate all residual inaccuracies, though the current control is exceptionally strong.

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