Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-16

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 many countries around the globe people who use to live at the backward areas like villages are moving to cities which resulting in decreasing the countryside population. I think it is a positive sign people deserve a better environment ,more opportunity and for better future of their kids.

People who lives at rural area like small cities and village are usually considered under privileged. They do not have better education system and better life styles. For example, a child living in village is unlikely to pursue education since it lack that environment that motivates him to get education. A patient is usually has to travel to big cities for their medical check-ups which is difficult for the patient.

People like these when move to big cities will eventually have more options and brighter future for their children who can get better education. A wide range of employment opportunities. The biggest draw back is that the country side population is decreasing youth does not want to live in those areas anymore. For example, Farming contribute to our economy but as speaking of today nobody wants to be a farmer apart from those older generation who is pursuing that profession for decades. It result in eventually low economic contribution from agriculture sector. Thus, there should be policies that should work on providing better facilities to these people. Hence, it will no longer want people to migrate into big cities when they will able to have access to everything.

To conclude, I think it is positive development for people to change their life styles and migrate to big cities for better opportunities and for their children`s future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that rural-to-urban migration is a positive development. Key ideas, such as improved access to education, healthcare, and employment, are introduced. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the benefits are mentioned, the discussion regarding the negative impact on agriculture is brief and lacks depth. The conclusion restates the position, but the overall argument could be strengthened by providing more specific examples or a more nuanced exploration of the 'negative' side of the development to fully balance the essay. The ideas are relevant but occasionally under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a central focus. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'For example' is used twice in close proximity). Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, such as the shift from discussing medical check-ups to employment opportunities. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly within and between paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'backward areas' instead of 'remote or rural areas' and 'as speaking of today' instead of 'currently' or 'in the modern era'. While the meaning is generally clear, the student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with collocations. To improve, the student should focus on using more academic synonyms and refining their word choice to sound more natural and precise.

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 the reader's flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'People who lives', 'a patient is usually has'), article usage, and tense consistency. For instance, 'people who use to live' should be 'used to live'. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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