Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-05

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 5.0)

People believe that an increase in the population of cities has a positive effect on development. Many cities are more crowded than rural regions. In my opinion, this is not beneficial for a country every time. Therefore, I do not agree with this opinion.

Because when the population grows in a city, resources are likely to run out quickly, especially water. People are harmful consumers. They do not care about the environment and natural resources. They only care about themselves. This means people are selfish most of the time.

For example, they buy things that they do not need, and they do not use their products or clothes. Sometimes, they throw away their clothes easily. When the population of cities increases, this situation gets worse day by day.

Another problem is trash. There is a lot of trash on every corner because people consume everything quickly. I think this situation is the worst problem in big countries because it is not beneficial for people's health, and this pollution poses a serious threat to health every day. Furthermore, this pollution affects animals at the same time. They live on the streets, like cats and dogs, and they die because of trash pollution. This is people's responsibility. They should learn to be friendly and kind to their environment. They should control the population in big cities.

Rural areas need people for work, especially on farms. If everyone moves to cities, production will be disrupted.

this is not good for the country's future development

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that rural-to-urban migration is a negative development. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments focus heavily on consumerism and pollution, which are consequences of urban density rather than a direct analysis of the migration trend itself. The point regarding agricultural production is relevant but is introduced only in the final paragraph and remains underdeveloped. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more balanced arguments that explore the socio-economic impacts on both rural and urban areas, ensuring each point is fully supported with clear reasoning and specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic and repetitive (e.g., 'Another problem is', 'Furthermore', 'For example'). Some transitions between sentences feel mechanical, and the final sentence is a fragment that lacks proper punctuation and connection to the previous paragraph. Improving the flow by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive language such as 'people', 'bad', and 'things'. While the meaning is clear, there is little attempt to use less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. Phrases like 'harmful consumers' and 'trash pollution' are understandable but not entirely natural in an academic context. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific collocations related to urbanization, sustainability, and economic development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, they are often basic or contain errors, such as the final sentence which is incomplete and lacks a capital letter. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage (e.g., 'the worst problem in big countries'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the lack of variety in sentence construction limits the score. To progress, you should practice incorporating more complex grammatical structures, such as relative clauses and conditional sentences, while ensuring accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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