Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-08

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)

In recent years,In many countries around the world,rural people are moving to cities has become mre common in many parts of the world.This essay will discuss the main reason behind this trend and explain why I believe it is a negative development.

One of the primary reason behind this trend is that lack of job opportunities in rural area.This is because cities usually have more companies,factories and bussinesses,which lead to better enviroment oppurtunities.For instance,young people move to cities to find well-paid job and build a better future.Another contributing factor is better education and health services,As cities has more school,colleges and hospitsls.Consequently,many familes prefer to live in urban areas rather then in rural areas.

In my opinion,this development is largely negative because it can problems for both rural and urban areas.One significant impact is that rural areas may lose young and educated people,which can reduce agriculture production and also the prices will be increases of things like grocery.Furthermore,a rapid increase in the urban population can cause problems like traffic,pollution and over crowding,which may result in a lower quality of life.For example,large cities such as karachi and lahore already face allot of serious traffic and pollution problem.Therefore,government should improve facilities and employment opportunities in rural areas.

In conclusion,the movement of rural people to cities is mainly caused by better job opportunities and improved education and healthcare.Although cities can provide a better lifestyle,I firmly believe that this trend is a negative development because it can reduce the rural population and create overcrowding cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating that the migration from rural to urban areas is a negative development. The ideas are relevant, covering both the economic impact on rural regions and the social/environmental strain on cities. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the link between rural depopulation and rising grocery prices is mentioned but not fully explained or supported with a logical chain of reasoning. While the position is consistent throughout, the essay would benefit from more depth in the supporting arguments to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'For instance', 'Another contributing factor', and 'Consequently' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by mechanical transitions and some repetitive sentence structures. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of the argument is easy to follow, though the overall structure feels somewhat formulaic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'urban population', 'employment opportunities', and 'agriculture production'. However, there are several spelling errors (e.g., 'mre', 'bussinesses', 'enviroment', 'oppurtunities', 'hospitsls', 'familes', 'allot') and some awkward collocations. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, but the frequent spelling mistakes and lack of more sophisticated, precise terminology limit the score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'cities has more school', 'prices will be increases') and article usage. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several missing spaces after commas and periods. While the student attempts complex sentences, the control over these structures is inconsistent, leading to errors that occasionally distract the reader, though they do not fundamentally impede communication.

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