Some people believe that people should be allowed to work only till a set retirement age. Others say that if people want to work, age should not be a barrier to them. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
In today's society, opinions diverge regarding the appropriate retirement age for workers. While some advocate for a set retirement age for everyone, others believe that individuals who wish to continue working should not be impeded by age restrictions. This essay will explore both perspectives and argue that age should not serve as a barrier to those willing and capable of working.
Advocates for a set retirement age often argue that it is necessaryit's necessary to make way for younger workers, createensure job opportunities, and avoid hindering career advancement. They assert that limiting older employees' time in the workforcelimiting older employees' tenure helps refresh the workforce, allowing younger generations to access employment opportunities. For instance, in industries where technological change is rapidtechnological advancements are rapid, younger employees may be perceived as more adaptable and efficient atin handling modern tools and processes, which is used to justify the needthus justifying the need for a fixed retirement age.
Conversely, proponents of allowing individuals to work irrespective of age highlight the advantages of diverse workplaces that include experienced employeesindividuals. Many older employees possess extensive knowledge and expertise accumulated over many yearsgained through years of experience. For instance, in professions such as teachingprofessions like teaching, healthcare, or research, older individuals often have invaluable skills that can greatly benefit their respective fields. Their wisdom and experience create mentorship opportunitiescontribute to mentorship opportunities and help maintain continuity in institutional knowledge.
In my opinion, age should not limit an individual's choice to work. Encouraging people to retire solely based on age overlooks their potential contributions and undervalues their capabilities. Rather than imposing age-related restrictions, evaluating employees based on their skills, performance, and health would be a more justifiable approach to workforce management.
In conclusion, while there are arguments for setting a fixed retirement age, the benefits of allowing individuals to work irrespective of age seem to have greater meritseem to have more merits. Encouraging inclusivity and recognizing the value of experience in the workforce can lead to a more diversified and enriched work environment.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response addresses both views fully, sustains a clear opinion, and develops a sensible alternative based on skills, performance, and health rather than age alone. Its main limitation is that the case for compulsory retirement relies somewhat generally on assumptions about younger workers' adaptability and access to jobs. Strengthen the comparison by considering how flexible retirement or role-specific assessments could balance opportunity for younger workers with the value of older employees' expertise.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both perspectives are developed with relevant support, and the writer's position is clear, consistent, and reinforced by a practical alternative to age-based retirement.
Deepen the evaluation by testing whether fixed retirement actually creates jobs and by addressing occupations where health or safety requirements may legitimately matter.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay is purposefully organised, logically sequenced, and smoothly connected from the two views to the writer's evaluation and conclusion.
Make the conclusion slightly more synthetic by linking the proposed performance-based approach directly to the competing concern about younger workers.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is broad, precise, and flexible across retirement, workforce management, expertise, and institutional knowledge, with only minor occasional awkwardness.
Polish small collocational details such as more merits, using greater merit or more advantages instead.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is controlled accurately, with only rare minor lapses that do not affect communication.
Maintain this accuracy while favouring formal written forms over contractions in academic discussion.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people believe that people should be allowed to work only till a set retirement age. Others say that if people want to work, age should not be a barrier to them. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.