Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Moving from a rural area to a well-known city is a big change in a human life. In many countries, many people are moving from rural area to cities this indicates that the people are trying to find better life at cities rather than in countryside. Due to this, the population in countryside has been decreasing.

Well, this increasing in population rate in cities are have some numerous affect on a human life which is that, If the population increases the unemployment rate has also increases. Due to massive increase in population this effects the rent of the normal houses in a city which ultimately makes a normal human living a bit hard. For example; Karachi is a biggest city in pakistan which generates almost 70% of the pakistan GDP but it has highest unemployment rate, and also the rate has been increases in water, gas and electric bills. This indicates the huge increase of population and decrease of population in other countryside.

To be precised, I partially believe that people should move from a countryside to a city area, because city area has so much good opportunities where countryside doesn't have that much.

In the end, although cities offer better jobs, education and healthcare, I firly believe that the movement of people away from the countryside is laregely a negative and worrying development. It weakens village communities, reduced food production.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the question and ultimately state that rural-to-urban migration is “largely a negative and worrying development,” while acknowledging cities’ advantages in jobs, education and healthcare. However, your position is not fully consistent: “I partially believe that people should move” suggests support for migration, and the reasons for your final negative view—weakening village communities and reducing food production—are only briefly mentioned, with no explanation or example. The discussion of city pressures, including unemployment and higher utility bills, is relevant but does not clearly establish why the overall development is negative. The response is also below the required 250 words. Develop a consistent position, explain each main reason, and support it with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, and expressions such as “Due to this,” “For example,” and “In the end” help signal relationships between ideas. The overall progression is nevertheless uneven: the second paragraph focuses on urban problems, the third appears to endorse migration, and the conclusion switches to a negative judgement without connecting these points. Some links are unclear, as in “This indicates the huge increase of population and decrease of population in other countryside.” The final sentence introduces two new consequences rather than developing the preceding argument. To improve, organise the body around a consistent position, use each paragraph for one main reason, and explain how examples support that reason.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “unemployment rate,” “GDP,” “opportunities,” and “food production,” which helps communicate the subject. There is also an attempt to use more formal phrasing, such as “negative and worrying development.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive: “a human life,” “better life at cities,” and “increasing in population rate” sound unnatural. Spelling errors such as “firly” and “laregely” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, natural phrases and check spelling; for example, describe people as seeking “a better quality of life in cities” and refer to “rapid urban population growth.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional structure in “If the population increases…” and a contrast clause beginning “although.” However, errors are frequent, and some sentences are difficult to follow. Examples include “this increasing in population rate in cities are have,” where the subject and verb forms do not agree, and “the rate has been increases,” which uses an incorrect verb form. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent, as in “a biggest city” and “from rural area to cities.” Punctuation around “For example” and the capitalised “If” within a sentence needs attention. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, verb forms, and sentence boundaries before adding more complex structures.

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