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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Essay: Life Expectancy

In this post, I’m going to write an IELTS Writing Task 2 model essay in response to this question about increased life expectancy from Test 2 of The Official Cambridge Guide To IELTS :

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

One of the consequences of improved medical care is that people are living longer and life expectancy is increasing.

Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Let’s go through my 4 Step Approach to essay planning:

Analyse The Question
Decide My Position
Generate My Ideas
Develop My Ideas

I’ll write these 4 steps out in full, so you can see my thinking. Obviously, you won’t have time to write all this down when you plan your essay, but you will have time to think the 4 steps through in your head. In fact, Steps 2 to 4 might happen together, if you think deeply enough about your views.

Step 1: Analyse The Question

The first thing to do is analyse the question.

TWO things are mentioned here: (1) “people are living longer” and (2) “life expectancy is increasing”. However, these are not two separate issues; I think life expectancy is mentioned to emphasise the fact that this will continue into the future, so it’s a long-term issue.

Now, I don’t want to die, so living longer only has advantages to me, but the question isn’t about ME, it’s about people in general; society.

So let’s reword the question , so it’s clearer: do the advantages of living longer outweigh the disadvantages for society?

Step 2: Decide My Position (What Do I Think?)

So, what do I REALLY think about this issue? In other words, what’s my position on this issue?

Clearly – if you REALLY think about this issue – there are BOTH advantages AND disadvantages to living longer for society, so you should discuss both advantages and disadvantages of you want to write a well-developed response (and have a chance of getting a Band 8 for TR).

On the whole, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages , because we can do more with our lives, BUT only if living longer means being healthier for longer, and being able to pay for retirement.

Step 3: Generate My Ideas (Why Do I Think This?)

Now let’s expand my position – why do I take this position? This is really just an expansion of the position I outlined above, into 4 main ideas .

Advantages:

A longer retirement means more opportunities for recreational pursuits – (assuming they have the health and money to pay for it.)
Grandparents can help to look after and offer advice to their grandchildren, making life easier for parents.

Disadvantages:

Older people are more likely to suffer from health problems, especially chronic health problems such as diabetes and back pain.
If older people don’t work, they need a larger pension to pay for their longer retirement.

Step 4: Develop My Ideas

Next, I’m going to develop my ideas using a logical structure. This will give me a clear essay plan.

Introduction :

people are living longer, and can expect to live longer, because of improved health care. Seems like a good thing, but are there any disadvantages of this trend?

Body Paragraph 1: Advantages

Main Idea 1: more time to be active and useful
Explanation 1 : opportunities for activities, hobbies
Explanation 2 : more people to look after our younger generation

Body Paragraph 2: Disadvantages

Main Idea: Both these advantages depend on good health and money.
Explanation 1 : older people more likely to have poor health; health care costs
Example : chronic health problems (diabetes, muscle pain)
Explanation 2 : pension funds may be limited. Who will pay?
advantages greater, but they depend on health and wealth.

So, all I need to do now is expand these notes into full sentences and link them together!

So here’s my essay:

My Model Essay

Over the last half century, life expectancy across the world has been rising as a result of better quality healthcare. This means that today we have an ageing population. On the face of it, living longer seems to be a good thing – after all, nobody really want to die! – but a decent old age depends on health and wealth.

Many people in their seventies and eighties, and even older, are able to enjoy a long and fulfilling retirement. They can travel to new destinations and get involved in a wide range of hobbies and activities that were impossible while working and bringing up a family. Those with grandchildren may also be able to help young, busy parents with such tasks as collecting children from school; moreover, they could share their life experiences with the younger generation.

But while there are tremendous benefits to increased life expectancy, they depend, to an extent, on being healthy and having money. Older people are more likely to suffer from medical problems, especially chronic illnesses like diabetes and muscle pain, which can seriously restrict the kinds of activities they do. This also means increased health care costs, for both individuals and society. In addition, if older people aren’t working, they will have to rely on savings and pensions to pay for their lifestyle, but many older people simply won’t have been able to save enough for a long old age.

Overall then, I feel that the benefits of living older are clear, but these must be balanced against the implications for health and money. If living longer simply means chronic health complaints and grinding poverty for a longer time, it is questionable as to whether it is an advantage at all.

I hope my model essay helps to show you how to write at a Band 8 or Band 9 level. If you think others will find this essay useful, please share it.

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Ielts writing task 2 sample 255 - in the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, in the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. what problems will this cause for individuals and society suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations..

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People Are Living Longer. Some People Think That It Causes Big Problems- IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated On Aug 02, 2024

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Discover how to tackle the IELTS Writing Task 2 essay on "People Are Living Longer. Some People Think That It Causes Big Problems." Check out sample answers, and outline to boost your writing skills.

Ielts writing task 2 academic, sample essay, band 9 sample essay.

Effective IELTS Essay Connectors for Writing Task 2 & Task 1

In this article, we examine sample answers for the IELTS Writing Task 2 essay on the topic "People Are Living Longer. Some People Think That It Causes Big Problems." You'll find outline and band 9 sample answer to help you craft a well-structured and compelling essay in the IELTS Writing essay.

In an IELTS Writing Discussion Essay , you are required to explore multiple viewpoints on a given issue. Your task is to present and discuss different perspectives before concluding with your own opinion or a balanced view. Structuring your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay with a clear introduction, well-organized body paragraphs, and a strong conclusion is crucial for demonstrating your ability to effectively communicate and argue your perspective.

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People are living longer. Some people think that it causes big problems. Others, however, think the ageing population has many advantages for business, government and for society in general. Discuss both views & give your own opinion

Discussion essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic of the discussion.

Clearly mention what could be expected from the essay- In my opinion, I believe that this trend brings both advantages and disadvantages to society as a whole. However, I find myself more inclined towards the positive aspects of growing life expectancies. This essay shall deal with the same.

Paragraph 1- The ageing population can impose heavy pressure on the economy and the healthcare system as the more people retire, the heavier the pension burden the state has to carry. Hospitals will be flooded with frail and infirm elderly citizens searching for medical treatments while the labour force also suffers due to the shortage of productive workers who often make the biggest contribution to society.

The ageing population can impose heavy pressure on the economy and the healthcare system as the more people retire, the heavier the pension burden the state has to carry.

Paragraph 2- The benefits of this development should not be underestimated. First, they are able to contribute to some sectors such as teaching, management, scientific research and politics thanks to their extensive experience. We often see top executives in their 50s doing consultation sessions and help companies function more efficiently, or old teachers coaching students for contests because of their vast knowledge and hands-on experience.

As most people in modern times are busy with tasks at the workplace, elderly members like grandparents can do the babysitting, relieving parents’ worries of their children lacking in moral support or leisure activities.

Conclude the discussion by stressing over your side of the argument- In conclusion, for the reasons I have mentioned above, it seems to me that an ageing population has substantial benefits to the society that could work in its favour.

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There is little room for doubt that there has been staggering growth in the proportion of elderly people in many countries. In my opinion, I believe that this trend brings both advantages and disadvantages to society as a whole. However, I find myself more inclined towards the positive aspects of growing life expectancies. This essay shall deal with the same.

On the one hand, it is inevitable that the remarkable increase in life expectancy has some negative consequences for some reasons. Firstly, the ageing population can impose heavy pressure on the economy and the healthcare system as the more people retire, the heavier the pension burden the state has to carry. Hospitals will be flooded with frail and infirm elderly citizens searching for medical treatments while the labour force also suffers due to the shortage of productive workers who often make the biggest contribution to society. Secondly, the ageing population can impose heavy pressure on the economy and the healthcare system as the more people retire, the heavier the pension burden the state has to carry.

On the positive side, the benefits of this development should not be underestimated. First, they are able to contribute to some sectors such as teaching, management, scientific research and politics thanks to their extensive experience. We often see top executives in their 50s doing consultation sessions and help companies function more efficiently, or old teachers coaching students for contests because of their vast knowledge and hands-on experience. Second, as most people in modern times are busy with tasks at the workplace, elderly members like grandparents can do the babysitting, relieving parents’ worries of their children lacking in moral support or leisure activities.

In conclusion, for the reasons I have mentioned above, it seems to me that an ageing population has substantial benefits to society that could work in its favour.

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The medical and healthcare front has taken substantial strides in recent years owing to which the average life span has proliferated and increased. As a result, the mortality rate has been reduced and people are living for a longer duration. However, some people consider it to be having a negative impact on the population dynamics while others contend that it has a rather positive impact on the growth of society from all aspects. Moving ahead, we shall be discussing both the viewpoints and why the ageing population is beneficial to society.

People who consider the longer durability of humans as a menace to society put forth that increased life expectancies may be burdensome to the world as it increases and aggravates the competition for scarce and scanty resources to survive. It could exacerbate the relationship between the generations and could disgruntle the paradoxical ideologies that are understandably contrary to each other owing to the age margin. At times, this could sever the ties of households as older people are generally conservative and orthodox with respect to the new generations and hence their lifestyle incongruency often leads to pandemonium between them. Moreover, the middle age people are often seen getting drudged and hackneyed due to working more in order to provide for their children as well as the elderly of their families who often fall sick and are generally in constant need of medical aid.

In contrast, the longer life and sustenance of human beings has a positive side and if is harnessed vigilantly and logically, it could rather prove to be an oblation for the human diaspora. The best resource out of all i.e., the human resource is the most prime tool for the society that could sculpt its shape to the welfare of itself. Since, the more, the better, therefore, increasing lifelines could be utilized and availed to pave a way for the betterment of the world. On the work front, the experienced and seasoned professionals are often seen to be sitting at the consulting role as their dexterity and knack in their respective professions could be seen promulgating the businesses higher and faster. For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic when a lot of businesses started to ramshackle, the seasoned employees were being hired intensively to have their drowning boats harboured. Similarly, for teaching, finance, people’s management, medical lines and research fields keep on turning to the counselling and consulting sessions of the experienced individuals in the related field of work as their experience is worth learning from.

In conclusion, it could be said that no matter how old one becomes, every other aspect and reason obliterates when experience comes and balances the equation. Therefore, burgeoning lifespan is indeed a positive development provided it is dealt with prudentially.

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Courtney is one of our star content writers as she plays multiple roles. She is a phenomenal researcher and provides extensive articles to students. She is also an IELTS Trainer and an extremely good content writer. Courtney completed her English Masters at Kings College London, and has been a part of our team for more than 3 years. She has worked with the British Council and knows the tricks and tips of IELTS.