Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-28
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, in several nations around the world people live longer life spin than the past . A large proportion of people think that aged individual creates issues for the state, While other considered them benefical for the community to have old age people. I completely agree with this viewpoint that old age generation is essential for the society and the benefits of them outweigh the negitives.
Old generation people play vital role in the community building. They have the experience of the past life and we have learn all the life techniques from them such as the life style, language and many more. They have the experience of the past practical life so they can guide the younger how to live best life and teach them manners and ethics how to be useful member of the society. Moreover, they can handle the reponsiblity of the household and home in proper way, when their family members how are working or jobs holder so they can look the home after thier sons or daughter leave for job. For instance in Pakistan when a person reach 55 or above so most of the time family finances and responsibilty are control by older people
On the other hand, there are some drawbacks having large number of older citizens in the nations. One is this that they generate economical complication for the government because they provide funds and housing for them. Furthermore, having large population of them in country reduces the work force required to runs industries to grows the economy. For example in the Japan due the high population of aged citizens they faces shortage of workers to work in factories etc which have lower their GDP.
In conclusion, older age people are the fundamental of the society because of thier practical exp
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of an aging population, and clearly states a position that the benefits outweigh the negatives. Ideas are presented and supported with examples, such as the mention of Pakistan for family roles and Japan for workforce shortages. However, the development of ideas tends to be repetitive and somewhat generalized, lacking the depth and extension required for a higher band. For instance, the discussion on household responsibilities touches on valid points regarding childcare and guidance, but it remains somewhat surface-level. Overall, the task is adequately addressed, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 territory.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, including an introduction, body paragraphs addressing advantages and disadvantages, and a truncated conclusion. Logical progression is generally visible, and the writer uses transitional markers like 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'For instance' to connect ideas. However, paragraphing and referencing are sometimes faulty or mechanical, and the conclusion is left unfinished. Cohesive devices are occasionally used inaccurately, which disrupts the flow of reading. These features align with the characteristics of Band 6, where a coherent overall arrangement is present despite some mechanical cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student attempts a range of vocabulary relevant to the topic, using terms such as 'proportion', 'fundamental', 'economical complication', and 'work force'. However, there are numerous word choice and collocation errors, such as 'life spin' instead of 'lifespan', 'aged individual creates' instead of 'individuals create', 'benefical' instead of 'beneficial', and 'economical complication' instead of 'economic complications'. Spelling errors like 'negitives', 'reponsiblity', 'thier', and 'exp' (incomplete sentence) are noticeable. Because the vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task but contains frequent inaccuracies, a Band 5.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('aged individual creates', 'family members how are working'), missing prepositions, and awkward phrasing ('they faces shortage of workers'). Punctuation is also weak in places, particularly with run-on constructions. While communication is not entirely impeded, the high frequency of grammatical errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. This reflects the criteria for Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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