Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-15

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)

It is often argued that the population is decreasing in rural areas because people are moving towards urbanization. I believe it is beneficial because more crops can be grown and also there are more facilities in cities.

One of the main reasons that there will be the increase in crops, fruits and vegetables growth. Substantial area is required for the plants or crops growth which is occupied by homes. If they remove their houses, so that they can use more area for the plantation and crops. For instance, people usually use more area in the villages for housing. If they go towards cities, there will be a lot space for growing more crops in the fields.

Another important reason is that individuals choose facilities. In cities, there are far more facilities compared to countryside. People has an access to every facility such as shopping mall, education, gas and internet connection. Additionally, they have work opportunities because there are numerous factories and companies in cities. For example, every person wants basic needs such as internet connection (which is valuable in the modern era), education (higher education is accessible in cities because there are universities) and work life balance. Thus those basic needs are achievable through city's life. Thus, people prefer city's life rather a rural's life.

In conclusion, I strongly admit that the city's life is more convenient than rural life because facilities are more important and larger area for growing foods for humans and animals. Thus decrease in countryside is a good sign not a red one as I mentioned the values.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the migration is a positive development. However, the development of ideas is limited. The argument regarding increased crop production is somewhat illogical, as it assumes that rural housing removal is the primary way to increase agricultural land, which is a weak premise. The second paragraph lists facilities but lacks depth in explaining why this shift is a net positive for society as a whole, rather than just for the individuals moving. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced reasoning and avoid over-generalizations about the relationship between housing and agricultural output.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the phrase 'Thus those basic needs are achievable' is used repetitively, and the transition 'If they remove their houses, so that they can use more area' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. The concluding sentence is also slightly confusing due to the phrasing 'not a red one'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used to connect ideas logically, rather than just starting sentences, would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'facilities' and 'things' repeatedly. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'plantation' (which usually refers to a specific type of large-scale estate) instead of 'cultivation' or 'farming'. The phrase 'not a red one' is an unnatural idiom in this context. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and to express your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('People has an access'), article usage ('the city's life'), and awkward sentence construction ('Thus, people prefer city's life rather a rural's life'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as well as refining your complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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

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