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)

Many people argue that human life span has increased as compared to the past. I believe that aging population is advantageous for a country as they carry much more experience than young adults. However if a country has more elderly and a low birth rate that is a serious issue.

There are many professions that require years of training. People not only grow old they pass through every difficulty they come across in their field. This not only polishes their skills but also increases their capability to outperform any young adult in same category. For instance in military many people you would come across in higher ranks would be elderly. Furthermore, previously people had a much shorter life span, many families used to lose their sole bread winner. And the government had to look after more numbers of orphans and widows through shelter homes. Now the families have started to become more stable.

On the other hand, if the birth rate plummets, which is currently happening in Japan. Meanwhile the ratio of elderly increase, it can lead to existential crisis. It can pose a formidable challenge for the government to find better ways to utilize its elderly population alongside dealing with rapidly decreasing number of young professionals.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that aging population is not the issue. They can benefit society from their wisdom and knowledge. Lack of government policies that benefit the nation in order to have a strong household, which in turn provides young talent that can take on life challenges is the main issue.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of an aging population, offering a clear position that the advantages can outweigh the disadvantages under proper government policies. The main ideas are relevant, such as the value of accumulated experience in older workers and the demographic challenges faced by countries like Japan. However, some arguments are slightly under-developed; for instance, the point about historical life spans and widows is tangential to the core debate of modern aging populations. Overall, all parts of the task are addressed, earning a Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text is organized into four logical paragraphs representing an introduction, body paragraphs addressing advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion,' though referencing is occasionally faulty, such as in the opening sentence of the second paragraph where pronouns and transitions feel slightly abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, but the overall progression could be smoother to reach a higher band. This performance aligns with a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'plummet,' 'existential crisis,' and 'formidable challenge.' However, there are some noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'aging population is advantageous for a country as they carry much more experience' where pronoun agreement and phrasing are slightly awkward, and 'look after more numbers of orphans.' Despite these limitations and minor errors, the meaning remains clear throughout, fitting the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation lapses, such as missing articles ('in military', 'in same category'), comma splices ('However if a country...'), and awkward clause structures ('Meanwhile the ratio of elderly increase'). These errors do not generally impede communication, but they restrict the response to a Band 5.5, as error-free sentences are not in the majority.

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

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