Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-27

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 6.5)

In some countries, life expectancy of people has improved than before. Some individuals believe that population with more older people cause problems, whereas others think that it is beneficial for the society. In opinion disadvantages completely outweigh the advantages because it may create shortage for workers and can also put a financial strain on the government.

The major disadvantage of increase in elderly people is that there could be a shortage of skilled labour. This is because most of the skilled work requires a good physical and mental health, whereas significant proportion of old people would be in a vulnerable condition, making it difficult for them to work at that age. For example, a major proportion of individuals retires around the age of 70. Therefore, this situation could create labour shortages in many countries.

The another drawback of this is that people at this age need full time care, so it is challenging for their family members to look after them for all the time, due to work and other responsibilities. As a result, they may prefer to send elderly people to age care facilities. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the government to set-up more old-age homes, putting a financial burden on the budget. For instance, due to the increased life expectancy, Australia has now more older population compared to younger population, and facing a shortage of age care facilities.

To conclude, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits of increased older population as it creates problems such as workforce shortage and financial burden for the authorities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have identified the main disadvantages (labour shortages and financial burden) and supported them with examples. However, the task asks to what extent the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, which implies a need to acknowledge the other side of the argument more thoroughly. While you mention that others think it is beneficial, you do not explore or refute these benefits in your body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a more balanced discussion by briefly addressing the potential benefits before explaining why you believe the disadvantages are more significant.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use cohesive devices such as 'The major disadvantage', 'The another drawback', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or grammatically awkward, such as 'The another drawback'. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, but the link between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used naturally will help elevate your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'life expectancy', 'vulnerable condition', and 'financial burden'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'population with more older people' (should be 'an aging population') and 'set-up' (should be 'set up' as a verb). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing to enhance your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'improved than before' (should be 'improved compared to the past'), 'cause problems' (subject-verb agreement error with 'population'), and 'for all the time' (unnatural phrasing). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and refining your use of comparative structures to improve your accuracy.

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