Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-14

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)

In the contemporary world, the average life expectancy of the people has increased over the period. It has been argued that it is problematic for the government and the authorities, while others believe that it is highly beneficial for the society. In my opinion, merits of having older population are far more than its demerits because it promotes ethical values and offers learning opportunities to younger generations.

The primary disadvantage of increased life expectancy of individuals is that it puts stress on existing resources of the nation.For example, water, electricity and medical facilities. To put it simply, it reduces the availability of the resouces for younger generations as the government has to cater the needs of older generations. Hence, it hampers the overall quality of life of the majority of population.

Despite the aforementioned disadvantages, it cannot be denied that its advantages outnumber them. Firstly, it creates better learning opportunities for younger generations. To explain, older generations offer their experience based practical learnings to new generations which can help them to deal with real situations in a better and efficient way. Hence, this privilege is only offered by aged people.

Furthermore, working with older individuals supports better work environment and promotes ethical culture. To put it simply, being surrounded with older generations at workplace often creates a respectful and professional environment As a result, it creates a healthy and a productive space for people of all age groups. Therefore, it is beneficial for the community and the society.

In conclusion, although increased life expectancy of citizens often create a competition for resources such as medical facilities, it creates better learning opportunities for younger generations and promotes work ethics.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout. In the introduction, the writer states their opinion that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The body paragraphs discuss both the negative impact on resources, such as medical facilities, and the positive aspects, including ethical values and learning opportunities for younger generations. Ideas are generally extended and supported, such as explaining how older generations offer practical learnings based on experience. However, some arguments remain slightly repetitive or under-developed, which aligns with Band 7 descriptors where all parts are addressed and a clear position is maintained, though some over-generalisation or limitation in depth is present.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised with clear progression throughout. Information and ideas are presented in a coherent sequence, beginning with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs exploring disadvantages and advantages separately, and ending with a concise conclusion. The writer makes use of cohesive devices to guide the reader, such as 'The primary disadvantage', 'Despite the aforementioned disadvantages', and 'Furthermore'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each new paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt. While some cohesive phrases are slightly formulaic, the overall structure supports clear logical flow, meeting the requirements for a Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, using terms such as 'contemporary world', 'life expectancy', 'resource allocation', and 'ethical culture'. There are attempts to use less common lexical items, though occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation occur, such as writing 'cater the needs' instead of 'cater to the needs', and 'experience based practical learnings'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and vocabulary does not impede communication. This performance fits comfortably within the Band 6 to 7 range, demonstrating adequate and functional resource for an academic essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response incorporates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures. Examples such as 'In my opinion, merits of having older population are far more than its demerits because it promotes ethical values...' show a good grasp of multi-clause sentences. However, minor grammatical errors and articles omissions persist, such as 'merits of having older population' missing the article 'an', and 'often create' instead of 'creates' matching the singular subject 'increased life expectancy'. Punctuation is generally sound, and errors rarely impede communication, reflecting the characteristics of Band 6 grammar.

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