Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-27

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 often seen that people over the age of 50 do not get good and suitable jobs in some countries. This essay will discuss the causes and reasons of it and also give suggestions to solve this problem.

One major reason of this is that new companies, factories and work places want new people with fresh and progressive ideas to grow their business. That is why people over 50 are not getting good jobs. Even if they have experience new generation thinks differently they think of them as old people who are old school and they do not have new ideas to share, Nowadays, trends are changing over night and people over 50 cannot possibly understand those fast changing trends.

One more reason is that older people do not understand new technology based on the requirements of this new age of advancement. New generation wants new techniques and fresh minds who have better understanding of new trends and technology beacuse in some countries people think that even if older people have experience. They are experienced in old times and they do not know new skills. Even these older people think that they do not need to lean anything new.

However, a good solution for this issue is that government should make institutes where older people can learn new skills of technology, development and business for free. Moreover, computer classes can be offered as well. Older people also need to admit that their knowledge needs to be increased and they should be ready for learning new skills. As a result, they can get better jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the question: it identifies employers’ preference for fresh ideas and older workers’ perceived lack of up-to-date technology skills, then proposes free training and a willingness to keep learning. These points are relevant, but they are not developed evenly. The discussion of employers’ assumptions is repeated rather than supported with a specific example or explanation of how it affects hiring, while the proposed training is only briefly described. The essay also presents older workers’ skills as a cause without distinguishing between employers’ stereotypes and genuine skills gaps. To strengthen the response, explain each cause more precisely and show how the suggested measures would address it, while maintaining a clear focus on both causes and solutions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, two paragraphs explaining causes, and a final paragraph offering solutions. This makes the main direction easy to follow, and transitions such as “One major reason,” “One more reason,” and “However” signal the stages of the argument. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive: the first cause returns several times to the idea that older people are seen as old-fashioned, and the second paragraph moves between employers’ views and older workers’ own attitudes without a clear link. Some sentences also run together, making relationships between ideas less clear. Use clearer sentence boundaries and develop one distinct point at a time, with references that show how each explanation connects to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for communicating the topic, with relevant expressions such as “fresh and progressive ideas,” “new technology,” and “new skills.” The response also attempts topic-related language about business, development, and changing trends. However, wording is often repetitive, especially “new,” “older people,” and “good jobs,” and some choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “new generation thinks differently” and “trends are changing over night.” There are also spelling errors, including “beacuse” and “lean,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise terms for hiring and workplace skills, and check spelling and collocations. This would make the argument clearer and less dependent on repeated general phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses both simple sentences and some attempts at more complex structures, including “Even if they have experience…” and “As a result, they can get better jobs.” The main ideas are generally understandable, but control is uneven. For example, “Even if they have experience new generation thinks differently they think of them…” joins several clauses without adequate punctuation, and “people think that even if older people have experience. They are experienced…” breaks the sentence in an inappropriate place. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “new generation” and the long sentence beginning “New generation wants…”. Practise punctuating complex sentences and checking that dependent clauses are attached to complete main clauses; this will improve accuracy while allowing you to retain varied structures.

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