Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-20

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 5.5)

People argue that the increase in the average life expectancy results in problems for governments. Other believe that advantages can outweigh the disadvantages. I personally believe that having elderly in the society is more advantageous for us. In this essay we will be discussing the same.

We live in a society where traditions and cultures matter a lot to us. Having elderly within us is the most significant way of teaching us and our younger generation the importance of such traditions and upholding them so that they can be forwarded with us to the coming generations as well. Also the elderly have seen more life than us. They can help us get through difficulties and making the righteous decisions in demanding times.

A lot of the elderly however stay in hospitals and old age homes to have sufficient care that is needed. Some people also have in home nurses and care takers for the same. This results in increased employment opportunities and volunteer experiences for our teens and younger generation, specially those who have lesser work experience. In contrast the mere disadvantages of having aging population would be the utilisation of resources for their care or the provision of pension in a few cases.

Overall, our elders are a valuable part of our society and lives. They have made us come along so far. The few reasons of having to take care of them should not make us shy away from the benefits of having them around us and building a prosperous and healthy society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the benefits of elderly people regarding tradition and employment, the discussion on disadvantages is quite brief and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or elaborate further on the economic implications of an aging population. The introduction is a bit informal and repetitive, and the conclusion could be more robust in summarizing the main arguments rather than just stating a personal opinion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Also', 'In contrast', and 'Overall', to link your points. However, the transitions between sentences can feel a bit mechanical at times. Some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'the same' in the introduction and the second paragraph, which makes the flow feel less natural. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'life expectancy', 'employment opportunities', and 'prosperous'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural word choices, such as 'having elderly in the society' (should be 'the elderly') and 'made us come along so far'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your ideas clearly, but it lacks the sophistication required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'Other believe' (should be 'Others believe'), 'having elderly' (should be 'having the elderly'), and 'making the righteous decisions' (should be 'make the right decisions'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor errors in article usage and subject-verb agreement. To achieve a higher score, you should aim for more error-free complex sentences and ensure greater precision in your grammatical control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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