As average life expectancy continues to rise in most countries around the world, retirement ages often remain anchored to standards set decades ago, placing pension systems under severe strain while younger generations bear an increasingly heavy burden of supporting the elderly. However, mandatorily delaying retirement could also squeeze job opportunities for youth and overlook health disparities among manual laborers. Between extending working years and ensuring intergenerational equity, which side should take precedence in policy-making? Please draw on examples from specific countries to articulate your stance and justify your reasoning.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors
Task Response: Address all parts of the task, present a clear position, support ideas with evidence
Coherence and Cohesion: Logical paragraphing, clear progression, appropriate linking devices
Lexical Resource: Wide range of vocabulary, accurate and natural collocations
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Variety of sentence structures, error-free grammar
Overall band score is 0-9, each criterion weighted equally.
Answering Tips
Spend 5 minutes planning your position and main arguments
Use the structure: Introduction - Body 1 - Body 2 - Concession - Conclusion
Develop each body paragraph with: topic sentence + explanation + example + summary
Use a variety of linking words, avoid repetition
Reserve 5 minutes at the end to check grammar and spelling