Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-16
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)
Nowadays,Older society of some countries tends to have more age than in the earlier years.Pleathora number of people believe that it has its own merits. On the contrary some also thinks that it will lead to having issues for the government. In this essay i will discuss about both the point of views and my opinion of which side has significantly more weight.
On the one hand the lack of physical involvement of elder population of a country leads to decrease in the speed of development. A country where the percentage of the population of youth is lower nad has a higher percentage of older people tends to lack development options there will be less of people contributing at the ground level for the execution of the major works needs to be done. For example a country like Canada has more of individuals who are already retired from the work unlike India a fast developing country because of their youth participation. Hence, development suffers which is a major demerit for government.
On the other hand experience and wisdom of a person who lived for decades benefits a society in many ways. There is always a need of knowledge for anyone at any stage of life where the role of our grandparents is very important. As at every point when i personally face any problem with dealing this world my parents and grandparents are the ones who shows me a way out of those situations. So, the aging population plays an vital role in a society.
In Conclusion, even we have the a young force which is ready to execute anything, there is a need of someone who gives direction to their fuel. Hence, having aged population has more advantages than them being an problem for government.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task, discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of an aging population and clearly stating the writer's position in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant, such as the reduction in physical work capacity and the valuable transfer of wisdom and experience from grandparents. However, the development of ideas tends to be slightly superficial and relies on broad generalizations rather than deep elaboration, particularly in the body paragraphs. For instance, the comparison between Canada and India is stated rather than fully unpacked. These limitations place the response comfortably within the Band 6 descriptors, as all parts of the prompt are addressed, but some arguments remain somewhat under-developed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a recognizable four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Logical progression is generally maintained, and transitional phrases like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader through opposing views. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the phrase 'dealing this world' and pronouns whose antecedents are slightly muddy. Paragraphing is present and appropriate, but the overall mechanical nature of the cohesive links prevents the response from achieving a higher band score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'Pleathora', 'significant', and 'execution'. However, there are notable word-choice errors, incorrect derivations, and spelling mistakes throughout the text. For instance, 'Older society of some countries tends to have more age' is unnatural phrasing, 'Pleathora' is misspelled, and 'vital' is preceded by an incorrect article ('an vital'). While the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly, these recurring lexical inaccuracies and non-standard collocations restrict the score to a Band 5.5 or 6.0; given the adequacy of communication despite flaws, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in sentence structures. However, frequent grammatical errors and punctuation lapses are present throughout the essay. Examples include missing articles ('In this essay i will discuss', 'has an problem'), incorrect preposition usage ('problem with dealing'), capitalization errors ('i'), and run-on structures lacking commas. For example, the sentence 'A country where the percentage of the population of youth is lower nad has a higher percentage of older people tends to lack development options there will be less of people contributing...' contains a fused sentence and spelling errors. These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, aligning the grammar profile with Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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