Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-30

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 6.5)

It is true that people are living longer than ever before in many countries. Japan, Italy, South Korea, and other industrialised nations are prime examples. Some people argue that an older population creates problems for governments, while others believe it can benefit society. I think this trend has both advantages and disadvantages, but the drawbacks are more significant.

On the one hand, there are clear benefits to having more elderly people in society. First, their wealth of experience and deep knowledge can help their nations in various ways. For example, many old and experienced politicians are leading their nations successfully. Similarly, a senior worker in a factory can train younger colleagues and pass on important skills. Furthermore, in law and education, older judges and teachers offer valuable wisdom. A retired former chief justice, for example, can give advice on the law and constitution, and a senior professor can lead important research team.

On the other hand, the disadvantages can be more serious. A society with more elderly people has fewer young people to work. This means fewer people are available for jobs. This is already a problem in countries like Japan, where some factories are shutting down because they cannot find enough young workers. In addition, government healthcare costs would rise significantly. More elderly people mean more patients in hospitals, requiring more doctors, nurses, and medicine. These costs would be funded either by the government or indirectly by the working population. Social security expenditure would also rise because there are more retirees who need financial support. All of this puts considerable pressure on the government and the economy.

In conclusion, elderly people have valuable experience that can benefit society. However, a country also needs a youth population to use and build on this knowledge. Without a balance between young and older generations, the negative consequences, such as economic slowdown, could become very serious.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of an aging population and clearly stating an overarching position that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. Ideas are well developed and supported with relevant examples, such as Japan's declining workforce and the expertise of older professionals. The student maintains a clear position throughout the essay, fulfilling the requirements for Band 7.0 or Band 8.0. However, because some points like healthcare costs and economic pressures could be elaborated with even greater depth to reach the highest levels of task response, a solid Band 7.0 is awarded.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, introduced with standard cohesive phrases like 'On the one hand,' and 'On the other hand,' which helps guide the reader. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the introduction, advantages, disadvantages, and conclusion cleanly. While some of the cohesive devices are a bit formulaic rather than completely flexible, referencing and substitution are managed well. The overall flow is smooth and natural, easily meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with some flexibility and precision, employing terms such as 'industrialised nations,' 'senior worker,' and 'social security expenditure.' There is a clear attempt to use less common lexical items with awareness of style and collocation, as seen in phrases like 'wealth of experience' and 'economic slowdown.' Occasional lexical inaccuracies occur, such as writing 'important research team' missing a plural or article, but these do not impede communication. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 7.0 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses. There are frequent error-free sentences, demonstrating good control of grammar and punctuation. Minor slips occur, such as 'More elderly people mean more patients' where 'means' might be preferred depending on the grammatical subject, but overall control is strong. The majority of complex sentences are constructed accurately, and punctuation is handled well throughout the piece, fully justifying a Band 7.0 score.

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