Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-10

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)

Nowadays, the subject of increasing population of elderly people has been debated all over the world. Some people think that it is creating challenges for the government. Others argue that elderly people are beneficial for the society. However, I strongly believe that benefits of having an aging population outweigh the downside.

Numerous studies show that people are now living longer more than ever before. In my opinion, it has several advantages. Firstly, the presence of elder people in homes is not less than a blessing, because they are more experienced than the other family members. So, they are able to give best advices for personal as well as professional matters, provide emotional support at difficult times, and create a lively environment in our houses. For instance, if an elder individual has worked as a successful lawyer for 4-5 decades, and his/her grandchild is a fresh law graduate. They will be able to advice them for a complex case according to their experience.

Furthermore, in organizations, the elder people have command on many skills, techniques, and tools. They can train younger generation from their life-long experience. For instance, industries have a lot of heavy machines, and it is quite challenging to understand their functions, protocols, and safety precautions. The experienced senior staff conduct workshops, internships, and trainings to teach others from their experience. In this way, they can be advantageous for the organization as well as the society.

In contrast, some people think that the elderly people are creating financial challenges for the government, as they are vulnerable to many diseases, they can increase medical burden. In addition, government need to give them old age funds, and arrange shelter homes.

I agree that there are a few concerns about increasing elderly people, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Aforementioned problems can be addressed by schooling the elder population to make them learn advanced skills. So, they can fulfil their medical as well as other needs by themselves.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The ideas are relevant, particularly the focus on the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and experience. However, the development of the disadvantages is somewhat superficial compared to the advantages. While the essay provides examples, such as the lawyer and the industrial training, the discussion on the 'financial challenges' is brief and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, the arguments regarding the economic impact of an aging population could be more thoroughly explored with specific examples or more nuanced reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. The flow between sentences is generally smooth, but the connection between the final suggestion about 'schooling the elder population' and the preceding argument about financial burden could be more explicitly linked to improve the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication of ideas. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language such as 'vulnerable', 'intergenerational', and 'financial challenges'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'living longer more than ever before' (redundant) and 'give best advices' (advice is uncountable). The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding the use of more sophisticated collocations would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is consistently clear, there are frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'the subject of increasing population of elderly people' (missing article), 'government need to give' (subject-verb agreement), and 'teach others from their experience' (preposition choice). Despite these errors, they do not impede communication. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of articles, as well as refining the use of complex structures to ensure they are error-free.

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