Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-29

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)

In today's world, the average life of individuals increased which has promoted a debate where some people think that elderly population generates various issues for the governments while others argue that aging population is beneficial for society. There are certain reasons why the positive aspects of having an elderly population outweigh the negative aspects.

First of all, elderly people are always way more experienced and responsible as compared to youth. They always give the best opinion according to their knowledge of experience. In this way, they are very useful asset of society and the younger generation can seek help and guidance from their elders in order to become a better human being and improve in every aspect of life. For instance, my late grandfather used to guide my a lot when he was alive. I used to sit with him every day after dinner and I described my whole day. After listening to me, he always guided me what I have done right and what's wrong and how can I significantly improve it.

Additionally, instead of being a burden to the government, the aged people in the society should also be given the work rights and they should be allowed to delay their retirement. In this way, we can have the best and most experienced people in each industry. Because at the age of retirement which is usually 60 years in most of the countries, people are usually at the peak of their professional experience and if they keep working instead of getting retired, they can generate very positive results.

In conclusion, I believe that despite of some disadvantages of having greater number of elderly population, there are for more advantages and the aging individuals can be very useful for the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the challenges and benefits of an aging population, maintaining a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the point about experience is well-supported with a personal example, the argument regarding economic productivity is a bit brief and could have been expanded with more specific reasoning or broader societal examples. The conclusion is also quite short. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more comprehensive analysis of the implications for governments and society.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition between the general point about experience and the personal anecdote about the grandfather could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly repetitive. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common collocations, such as 'useful asset of society' and 'peak of their professional experience'. However, there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'average life of individuals increased' (should be 'life expectancy') and 'work rights' (should be 'employment opportunities'). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'my a lot' (should be 'me a lot'), 'what I have done right and what's wrong' (tense inconsistency), and 'despite of' (should be 'despite' or 'in spite of'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings that slightly hinder the flow. The student demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the frequency of minor errors prevents a higher score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.