Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-12

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 6.0)

In several nations all across the globe, local residents are shifting from suburbs to the main cities, which is causing a decline in population in the countryside. Personally, I consider it as a negative development because there can be several issues regarding urbanization in the future such as poor living standard and tough competition for employment.

Rural to urban migration can be extremely difficult to handle in the future due to its severe consequences. Firstly, large groups of individuals who come to reside in developed cities result in overpopulation, which is highly responsible for making it extremely competitive to achieve a job. Secondly, these migrations also lead to high rate of unemployment due to an imbalance between demand and supply of work force, and they are also accountable for a gradual decline in living standard of the city residents. Thirdly, the number of indigenous people living in their local areas also fall as most of them move to cities in search of better career opportunities. As a result, shortage of man power in villages has become a common problem as there are not enough workers in crop fields, which is effecting the amount of crop cultivated.

Conversely, this development can also be advantageous in some ways. For instance, locals who move to cities might make significant contributions to the economy by getting employed, or by starting their own businesses. In addition, these people can also cause noticeable improvements in the GDP of a country by increasing the employment rate, and also by creating job oppurtunities for others.

In conclusion, migration of locals from countryside to the cities be both advantageous and disadvantageous to the economy. Although people move to cities to upgrade themselves, it can be a major loss for the businesses and locals living in the countryside in terms of reduced employment and lack of workers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the trend is negative. The ideas are relevant, such as the impact on urban employment and rural agricultural output. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The second paragraph introduces several points, but they are listed rather than fully explored. Furthermore, the third paragraph presents a counter-argument that contradicts the initial stance without effectively reconciling it, which weakens the overall position. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis rather than just listing consequences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Thirdly', and 'Conversely' helps guide the reader through the argument. However, the transition between the negative impacts and the counter-argument is slightly abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using more varied linking phrases rather than relying heavily on sequential markers. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common collocations, such as 'indigenous people' and 'urbanization'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'effecting' instead of 'affecting' and 'man power' which is better expressed as 'labor force'. The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Improving the variety of synonyms and ensuring correct word forms would enhance this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as 'the number of... fall' (should be 'falls') and 'the migration... be both' (should be 'is both'). Punctuation is generally correct, but there are minor slips in subject-verb agreement and article usage. The control of grammar is sufficient to communicate the message, but the frequency of these small errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be beneficial.

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