Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-14
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)
Globally, migration has increased with most of the population moving from rural areas to urban areas(urbanization) for various reasons.
This has led to significant impact in both negative and positive way in terms of development notably resulting from urbanization.
The countryside side’s population remains depleted due to significant movement and mostly, only elderly and very young population remains on the countryside who may not have the capacity to improve the livelihoods in the countryside.
Technology,education and health services may not be readily available in the countryside as most of the population focus in the urban areas, this may have a negative impact as due to high levels of poverty resulting from illeteracy and poor health.
The decreasing population resulting from urbanization may generally result to underdevelopment.
On the other hand, the decrease in the population in the country side may increase the opportunities for each and everyone.Take for instance, more job vacancies and employment in the countryside due to underpopulation.Food security becomes assured because of small family members in the household.
Few people are invest in tech
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 177 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, as the arguments are presented in a fragmented manner without sufficient supporting evidence or examples. While you identify both positive and negative aspects, the lack of depth and the abrupt ending prevent a full exploration of the topic. To improve, you must expand your points with specific examples and ensure a clear, consistent position is maintained throughout the essay. The current length is insufficient to demonstrate the ability to develop a coherent argument.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear structure. While there is an attempt to use transition signals like 'On the other hand', the paragraphing is ineffective, and the flow of ideas is disjointed. The connection between sentences is often weak, making the progression of the argument difficult to follow. You should focus on using clear topic sentences for each paragraph and employing a wider range of cohesive devices (such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in contrast') to link your ideas more logically and smoothly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band score. There are some spelling errors, such as 'illeteracy' instead of 'illiteracy', and some awkward phrasing like 'countryside side’s'. You rely on repetitive vocabulary and struggle to use more sophisticated or academic collocations. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic terminology related to urbanization and socio-economic development, and pay closer attention to spelling and word formation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Few people are invest in tech'), missing articles, and awkward sentence construction. Punctuation is also inconsistent, which occasionally hinders readability. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on mastering basic sentence structures and reducing the frequency of errors. Practicing the correct use of articles and verb tenses will significantly improve the clarity of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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