IELTS Writing Part 2: Essay 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic: "Number of aged people is increasing in some societies. What will be the positive an negative impacts of such scenario on our society? "

Model Answer:

Only the fortunate among us live long enough to become grey and wrinkled. And many die young. But with the advancement of medical science, life expectancy of the universal man is increasing, and, as time goes by, more and more of us will survive as senior citizens. Ironically, this general well-being of humans has its mixed impacts on the society. Who would think that living longer could be a bad thing? But it can. Think about the world’s biggest and strongest economy, USA. Under their Social Security System old Americans receive post-retirement benefits. It is projected that by 2036, there will be so many senior citizens in USA that even this mighty country will not be able to pay and foster all of them. But before that, the Social Security System will have drained the Government’s tax funds for keeping up with the required expenses to sustain America’s oldest generation. This may capsize the US economy making the current recession appear as a mere hiccup. So while science will extend the lives people, economy will suffer, because although older people are living longer, their productivity is not increasing proportionately.  Yet, the glass may be deemed as half full as well. With decaying youth comes the ripening wisdom. Is it not true that almost all of today’s intellectual stalwarts are at the later stages of their lives? This prominence of veterans can be seen in politics, science, business, education and where not. So, if experience is what guides and salvages the world then its abundance must help. Most importantly, extending human lives, regardless of its aftereffects, has to be good, because humans are supposed to cherish and sustain life. Admittedly, dragging on a senile existence is rather pathetic. So we must not be pleased only extending the longevity of life, but strive to enhance its quality by respectful concern for health and society. So, in sum, yes, the number of aged people is increasing, and it has had varied effects on society. But if we learn to focus and capitalize on the positives, we can make a longer life synonymous to better prospects.