Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-21

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)

The increased life expectancy in some countries has been a topic of discussion. While many think aging population is beneficial for a society because of their experience, I believe they cause problems to governments as they reduce diverse participation and fresh ideas from the younger generation.

On the one hand, the experience of elderly population benefits the society is many aspects. Their knowledge works as a guidance in solving problems as they must have dealt with such patterns previously. In corporate firms, for example, most leaders and senior managements are elderly as they have great tenure in a firm with enormous knowledge about specific sector they work in. As a result, it creates a sense trust that if they are suggesting something it will work. Hence, it is evident that societies get most out of their presence without much problem.

On the other hand, it has some disadvantages as well. Older generation creates hindrance in the flow of new ideas and equal participation from younger generation. As most of the business and job sectors are mostly occupied with elderly professionals, younger people struggle to find equal platforms and treatment. In many cases, they are expected to have experience because they are constantly competing with the experienced people, making opportunities narrower to young generation. Moreover, young people can come with new ideas and endeavors that are required for the present fast-paced world, helping government with fresh initiatives and change management accordingly. However, aging population blocks this opportunity in most cases creating lost opportunities for the states. For instance, in Japan, most company's senior roles are handled by elderly generation for a long time, leaving younger people in an unequal position which reduces change for the government.

In conclusion, although aging population helps the society with their high level of knowledge and expertise, they can be problematic as they reduce new idea generation and resist change from the younger population, hampering government in the long run.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have identified both the benefits and the drawbacks of an aging population. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the 'hindrance' to younger generations is a strong point, but it could be further supported with more specific economic or social evidence beyond the mention of Japan. The conclusion effectively summarizes your stance, but the overall depth of the analysis is more characteristic of a Band 6.5 or 7.0, as some points are slightly generalized.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with clear paragraphing. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'For instance' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and flow. For example, the sentence 'As a result, it creates a sense trust that if they are suggesting something it will work' is a bit clunky and lacks a smooth connection to the previous sentence. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, but the use of cohesive devices could be more sophisticated to reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'tenure,' 'endeavors,' and 'change management.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'creates a sense trust' should be 'creates a sense of trust,' and 'hampering government' is slightly awkward in this context. You attempt to use less common vocabulary, but the precision is inconsistent. To improve, focus on natural collocations and ensuring that your word choices are contextually accurate rather than just academic-sounding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use complex sentences, there are frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'aging population' often requires an article ('an aging population'), and there are issues with pluralization, such as 'most company's senior roles' (should be 'most companies' senior roles'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures will help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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