Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-06
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)
It is true that in modern era most of the people around the world are moving from rural areas to cities for better livelihoods and to get more facilities in their daily life.
To begin with the rural areas. People are moving to the cities because in the rural areas there are less facilities for them as compared to urban areas. In the urban areas there are more facilities like public transport and to get things for their livelihood. Major reason for the people migrating from the rural areas is to get better education and to get more employment opportunities to get successful in their life. For example in rural areas there not a basic facilities like banks and public transports that are the basic need for the people daily life. Therefore these are the reasons that people are migrating from the rural areas.
Moreover, the people are migrating to urban areas. That is why population in the country side areas are decreasing rapidly. Which is causing the decreasing rate in the farming section of the country because most of the farming products cane from the country side areas. For example people from the rural areas are mostly involved in the farming section. But now they are migrating to urban areas which causes the decreasing population in rural areas
To conclude, people are migrating for the better educated and facilities. If government provides these facilities in the rural areas they will stay in the areas and can also develop at the same time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing the migration from rural to urban areas, but the position is not clearly stated. While you mention reasons for migration and the impact on farming, you do not explicitly state whether you view this as a positive or negative development. The ideas are relevant but remain somewhat under-developed; for instance, the impact on the farming sector is mentioned but not fully explored in terms of its broader consequences. To improve, ensure you take a clear stance in the introduction and provide more detailed, nuanced support for your arguments throughout the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is often hindered by repetitive phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, the phrase 'people are migrating' is used repeatedly, which makes the flow feel disjointed. Cohesive devices are present but are often used in a simplistic or repetitive manner, such as starting multiple sentences with 'For example' or 'In the urban areas'. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and referencing techniques to connect ideas more fluidly between and within sentences.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'facilities', 'people', and 'areas', which are repeated frequently. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'better educated' (when referring to opportunities) and 'farming section'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the occasional misuse of words limit the score. Incorporating more topic-specific vocabulary related to urbanisation and socio-economic development would significantly improve your lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'there not a basic facilities'), article usage (e.g., 'in the country side areas'), and sentence fragments (e.g., 'To begin with the rural areas.'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, although they do not fully impede communication. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with pluralisation and the correct use of prepositions and articles.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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