Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing.

Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

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

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

rural people all around the globe are seen to be moving to cities for better lifestyle. and countryside population is decreasing while there's a huge increase in cities population. everyone here and there wants best for itself and the family. everyone thinks moving to city will give them a better future and somehow they are right. but with huge people moving to cities the place is becoming overcrowded and competition is also increased as work demand there is less but more work force. which results in more joblessness. as far as i am concerned instead of moving to cities people from the villages should invest in what they have already and make countryside better for their better future. because as the city grows more will be the infiltration. if some people move it is a positive sign but movement if higher number of individuals give a negative impact as the countryside will be left underdeveloped. according to my knowledge i have and example of islamabad city in pakistan. people from the surrounding villages moved there for the better lives ahead but the villages were left behind completely underdeveloped and most of the people stayed under the poverty index. lands left barren. if huge population moves it has its consequences on the agriculture and countries overall gdp too. no crop yields country will have to depend on import and even the basic facilities will be hard to cope up with. prices will be sky rocketed and country will be unstable and doomed

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you consider large-scale rural-to-urban migration negative, while acknowledging that a small amount may be positive. You give relevant reasons, including urban overcrowding, job competition, underdeveloped villages and effects on agriculture, and the Islamabad example helps connect the argument to a real context. The response addresses both the trend and whether it is positive or negative. However, some points are asserted rather than explained: for instance, the link between reduced crop yields, imports, rising prices and national instability needs clearer development. The claim that villagers should invest in their communities is also not supported with specific measures. Explain these consequences step by step and develop the example further to make the argument more complete and convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The ideas are generally relevant and there is a discernible progression from why people move, to the problems in cities, and then to consequences for rural areas and the country. However, the response is presented as one continuous block, so the reader has little visual guidance through its different stages. Connections are often made with basic or repetitive links such as “but,” “because,” and “if,” while some transitions do not clearly show how one claim follows from another. For example, the move from “lands left barren” to national GDP and imports could be signposted and explained. Use separate paragraphs for the introduction, urban effects, rural and national effects, and conclusion; vary linking expressions and make references between ideas explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “overcrowded,” “work force,” “underdeveloped,” “agriculture,” and “GDP,” which allows you to discuss both urban and rural consequences. There are also attempts at more formal expressions, such as “as far as I am concerned” and “poverty index.” However, several choices or combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “better lifestyle,” “work demand there is less,” “the infiltration,” and “prices will be sky rocketed.” Some wording is also vague, such as “everyone here and there” and “best for itself.” Aim for precise collocations and a consistently appropriate academic register; checking phrases in context will help you express your ideas more naturally without losing the useful topic range you already show.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, as in “if some people move it is a positive sign but movement if higher number of individuals give a negative impact.” This shows an effort to express qualifications and cause-and-effect relationships, but control is uneven. Some sentences have faulty clause structure or agreement, such as “movement if higher number of individuals give,” and “more work force” is embedded in a sentence whose comparison is difficult to follow. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent: several ideas run together, while sentence openings such as “and countryside population” are not properly joined to the preceding sentence. Practise building one clear main clause at a time, then add subordinate clauses with accurate agreement and punctuation.

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