Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-03

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)

Although, people are now living longer than ever before has certain disadvantages, I believe that its advantages outweigh them because elderly people share knowledge, ideas, culture and they provide guidance and emotional support to younger generation.

Admittedly, aging population creates problems for governments leads to some disadvantages. One major concern is that population increases and creates pressure on resources. This is because governments have to spend more money on healthcare facilities, medical facilities and pension schemes. For example, older people may require regular medical check-ups and expensive treatments. Another potential drawback is that greater pressure on families, which means that younger family members may have to spend more money and time looking after elderly relatives. Consequently, this may reduce productivity and negatively effect the country's economic development.

Despite these drawbacks, I believe that the advantages are more significant.

The main benefit is that older people share knowledge,ideas and culture. This is particularly important because older generation have valuable knowledge and life experiences that they can share with younger people. They can teach traditional values,culture and useful life lessons. Moreover, elderly people may provide emotional support and guidance to their families. For instance, grandparents often take care of children and teach them good habits. For these reasons the positive effects if society has more elderly people are greater than its negative effects because it can create stronger relationships and a supportive society.

In conclusion, although aging population creates problems for governments can lead problems such as healthcare, medical and pensions. I believe that its advantages outweigh its disadvantages because of elderly people contribute their knowledge,cultural and emotional support to society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the benefits of an ageing population outweigh the disadvantages, and the conclusion restates this view. You address both sides with relevant points, including pressure on healthcare and pensions, family caregiving, and older people’s knowledge and emotional support. The examples about medical check-ups and grandparents caring for children help make the discussion relevant. This response also shows some of the development expected at a stronger level, particularly in explaining how older people can support younger generations. However, the disadvantages are explained more fully than some benefits, and claims such as older people creating “stronger relationships” would benefit from a more specific example or explanation. Develop each main point more evenly to make the argument more convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on disadvantages, a paragraph on advantages, and a conclusion. The contrast between “Admittedly” and “Despite these drawbacks” helps signal the change in argument, while “For example” and “Consequently” connect supporting details to the points they illustrate. However, some links are mechanical, and the conclusion repeats the main ideas without adding a clear synthesis. There are also places where the relationship between ideas is not expressed smoothly, such as “aging population creates problems for governments leads to some disadvantages.” Organise each body paragraph around one clearly stated point, then connect its explanation and example with precise referencing and varied transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “pension schemes,” “medical check-ups,” “productivity,” “traditional values,” and “emotional support.” These choices make the subject clear, and phrases such as “economic development” suit an academic discussion. There are also some inaccurate or repetitive expressions: “population increases” is vague in this context, “medical facilities” repeats the healthcare idea, and “positive effects if society has more elderly people” is an awkward phrase. Several ideas rely on repeated words such as “knowledge,” “support,” and “problems.” Aim for more precise collocations and paraphrase repeated terms; for example, describe the “growing proportion of older adults” and their “intergenerational contribution.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, using clauses with “because,” “which means,” and “although.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the main argument is generally understandable. However, some sentence structures are incomplete or incorrectly joined. For example, “Although, people are now living longer … has certain disadvantages” lacks a clear grammatical subject, and “aging population creates problems for governments leads to some disadvantages” joins clauses without a suitable structure. Agreement and articles also need attention in “older generation have” and “to younger generation.” Review how to form concessive clauses and check that each sentence has a complete main clause. More accurate control of these patterns would make your complex sentences clearer.

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