Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries, people are now living longer than ever before. Some people say an aging population creates problems for governments. Other people think there are benefits if society has more elderly people.

To what extent do the advantages of having an aging population outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Life expectency is higher than ever in many countries now. Some people argue that aging population creates problem for governments while others think that there are benefits with more elderly people in the society. Generally the advantages of having an aging population don't outweigh the disadvantages.

Elder people are generally wiser than the young. They have gained much knowledge through their experiences. These experiences are a big advantage for the elderly people. For instance, a senior person who has worked in a specific company for a long time will know the workflow much better than a newly recruited employee. In fact the young employees need guidance from the seniors to get familiarised with the workspace. But thats where the benefit of elderly people end.

People grow weaker as they get older. They lose their mobility and strength. Many jobs require a lot of physical work that aren't suited for elderly people. For example, construction site workers need to move around a lot of heavy items that is much easier for a younger adult to carry due to their mobility and overall physical strength than an elderly person. Also elderly people are more prone to diseases. As people get older their body and immune system start to weaken. As a result, they become sick easily and a sick person can't contribute much to the society.

In conclusion, elder generation are needed to guide the young generation but their contribution to the society is limited whereas younger adults can deliver prosperity to the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, and the conclusion restates this view. You address both sides by discussing older people’s experience and the physical and health challenges associated with ageing. The workplace example helps explain how older employees can guide younger colleagues. However, the advantages are developed only briefly, and the disadvantages focus mainly on individuals’ ability to work rather than explaining the problems an ageing population creates for governments, such as increased healthcare or pension costs. The claim that younger adults can “deliver prosperity” is also broad and not supported. Develop each main point with a clearer explanation of its wider social impact.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph on an advantage, one on disadvantages, and a conclusion. The progression within the disadvantages paragraph is also understandable, moving from reduced physical ability to greater susceptibility to illness. Linking phrases such as “For instance,” “As a result,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. This organisation is effective, though some connections are quite mechanical, and the contrast “But thats where the benefit … end” is abrupt. The conclusion introduces a broad claim about prosperity without showing how it follows from the preceding points. To strengthen progression, use clearer links between each claim and the essay’s central comparison, and ensure the conclusion synthesises rather than adds a new assertion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including relevant terms such as “mobility,” “immune system,” “workflow,” and “guidance.” However, the range is somewhat limited, with repeated use of “elderly people,” “young,” and “society,” and some choices are imprecise or unnatural. For example, “benefits with more elderly people” would be more naturally expressed as benefits of an ageing population, while “deliver prosperity” is vague in this context. There are also spelling errors, including “expectency” and “thats.” Aim to use more precise language for the policy issues in the prompt, such as pensions, healthcare provision, and the workforce, while checking spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and most of the meaning remains clear. Examples of effective subordination include “As people get older their body and immune system start to weaken” and the sentence beginning “For example, construction site workers…”. Some grammatical errors remain. In “aging population creates problem,” the singular count nouns need articles or plural forms; “a sick person can’t contribute much” is an overly broad singular construction; and “elder generation are needed” has a mismatch between the singular noun and plural verb. The long construction example also has an unclear agreement pattern in “items that is.” Review articles, subject–verb agreement, and punctuation around introductory clauses. Greater accuracy across these structures would make the argument smoother.

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