Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-25

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)

Due to advancements in medical science in recent times, the longevity of people living has been increased all over the globe. While some people think that it is beneficial to have more elderly people in society, others argue that such a population of elderly people create for the policy makers. In this essay, we are going to discuss how the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of having elderly people in society.

On the one hand, having an older generation of people can create multiple problems in society. After a certain age, people lose the ability to work and earn a living, which causes a lack of money for an individual to survive in this world. In addition to that, at an elderly age, people are often at high risk of developing health conditions. As citizens of the country, it becomes the responsibility of the government to provide them with medical assistance to them. This causes problems, such as the exhaustion of medical facilities provided to them. For instance, people having no children often have a very harsh life in their older age, as no one is available to assist in various activities. Furthermore, in this advancing world, it is very difficult for older people to adapt to new technologies, because of which they face several crimes.

On the other hand, the advantages of having elderly people in society, especially in the family, are more beneficial and certainly outweigh their disadvantages. Firstly, older people have much more experience, which they can provide to young adults to tackle several challenges in the world. For example, soldiers in the military, before going on missions, always take advice from veterans as they possess important experience. In addition to this, they also provide emotional assistance to young people, which is very necessary in a household.

To sum up all this, medical advancement has increased life expectancy, because of which people are living longer than before. There are some disadvantages to it, such as a lack of ability to adapt to technology, but its advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages in multiple ways, such as emotional guidance and sharing experiences.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the question and state a clear view: the advantages “certainly outweigh” the disadvantages. The discussion of pressure on medical services and the value of older people’s experience is relevant, and the veteran example helps illustrate one benefit. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the disadvantages receive several points, while the benefits are mainly limited to experience and emotional support. Some claims also need clearer explanation—for example, the link between older people’s difficulty adapting to technology and “several crimes” is unclear. To strengthen the response, explain how the benefits affect society more broadly and support each main point with a specific, well-explained example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for disadvantages and advantages, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “To sum up” makes the direction of the argument easy to follow. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some stronger control through logical paragraphing. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical because several sentences begin with formulaic links such as “In addition to that” and “Furthermore.” Some connections between ideas are also unclear, particularly the move from older people’s difficulty with technology to crime. Use fewer repeated transition phrases and make the relationship between each claim and its explanation more explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “life expectancy,” “medical assistance,” “emotional assistance,” and “veterans.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the longevity of people living has been increased,” “create for the policy makers,” and “at an elderly age.” The phrase “exhaustion of medical facilities” also does not clearly express the intended pressure on services. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision. Aim to learn common word partnerships and choose expressions that state your meaning directly, such as “increased life expectancy” and “put pressure on healthcare services.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses with “which,” “because,” and “as.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and the argument remains understandable despite some grammatical errors. There are problems with agreement and sentence construction, as in “such a population of elderly people create,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “it becomes the responsibility of the government to provide them with medical assistance to them,” which repeats the object. The opening sentence also has an awkward passive construction. Review subject–verb agreement, pronoun reference, and sentence patterns with “provide.” More consistent accuracy in these areas, alongside your existing range of clauses, would make the writing clearer and more controlled.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.