Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

In many countries, people are moving from rural areas to cities, which is causing the population of the countryside to decrease. Although this trend can provide can individuals with better opportunities, I believe it is a negative development overall.

First of all, one major disadvantage is that rural areas may lose their young and skilled population. Many young people move to cities because they find better jobs, universities and healthcare facilities there. As a result, villages may have fewer workers, particularly in agriculture. This can reduce agricultural production and negativity affect

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under-length at only 91 words, failing to meet the 250-word minimum requirement. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you have stated a clear position in the introduction, the development of ideas is severely curtailed due to the incomplete nature of the essay. The argument regarding the loss of a skilled workforce is introduced but not fully explored or supported with sufficient detail. To improve, you must ensure you provide a full introduction, at least two well-developed body paragraphs with supporting examples, and a conclusion to meet the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is too short to demonstrate a full range of cohesive devices or effective paragraphing. While the initial sentence is logically structured and uses a cohesive link ('Although'), the abrupt ending prevents an assessment of overall progression. The text lacks the necessary structure to demonstrate a logical flow of ideas across multiple paragraphs. To improve, focus on planning your essay structure before writing to ensure you have enough content to create a coherent, multi-paragraph argument that guides the reader through your points logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is appropriate for the topic, such as 'rural areas', 'agricultural production', and 'healthcare facilities'. However, the range is limited due to the brevity of the text. There is an error in the final sentence ('negativity affect' instead of 'negatively affect'), which suggests a lack of attention to word form. To achieve a higher band, you need to produce a longer response that allows you to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary, including less common lexical items and more precise collocations related to the topic of urbanisation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The sentences produced are grammatically sound, showing a basic ability to construct complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions like 'because' and 'although'. However, the limited length prevents the demonstration of a wide range of structures. The error 'negativity affect' is a minor slip in word form. Because the response is so short, it is difficult to judge your ability to maintain accuracy over a longer piece of writing. Focus on expanding your ideas to allow for a variety of sentence structures, including passive voice or conditional sentences.

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

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