IELTS Writing task 2: Some people think that people who are over 60 years old should not work and retire earlier

Topic:

Some people think that people who are over 60 years old should not work and retire earlier. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Topic analyzing:

- What type of essay is it? - Agree/disagree
- What is the main issue? - Key words: people over 60

- What are the sub issues? - Micro key words: should not work, retire earlier

- What instruction are you given? - Instruction words: agree or disagree - give personal view on how much you agree/disagree

Answer:

It is often considered that people should not work after they turn 60. While I understand that it is necessary for elderly people to retire, I believe the age of retirement may vary depending on the circumstances.

People at a certain age should retire, not just for their own benefit, but also for the sake of others. The more aged a person is, the less physically healthy he becomes, and at some point he will not be able to fulfill the tasks assigned, especially heavy duties like in the construction or transportation industry. Besides, old people should leave their positions and make room for younger ones in the employment market, which is full of new graduates every year. Only by this way can the labor force be refreshed and the unemployment rate be reduced.

Although it is necessary for the elderly to retire when the time comes, I think in many professions skills and knowledge increase with age, and it would be a great loss when an experienced worker retires at the age of 60. For example, in education, a professor with over 30 years of research and teaching is undoubtedly a valuable asset to any university or institute, and if his health still allows him to continue working, it is definitely a waste of human resource to let him retire. Besides, many people are enthusiastic to their job and want to continue working even when they get old, and these people should be encouraged to further contribute to the society with their work.

In conclusion, although I agree that people should not work and retire when they get old, I believe the time of retirement can be different based on the conditions and wills of the workers.

Comment:

I have to underline the word ‘how much’ in the topic analysis, because it is the trickiest part in this kind of essay. It is easier to totally agree or disagree with the argument given in the topic, but it is much more difficult to write an essay when you partially agree or disagree. Unfortunately, I find myself only partially agree/disagree most of the time I see such kind of topics.

I divide my essay into two parts: part 1 discusses why I agree with the argument and part 2 explains why I think the argument is not totally right. I try to explain as clearly as possible, but could not extend my answer further than this with only 40 minutes. I would be grateful to receive comments from you to improve my writing skill.