Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-17
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 world, rural people are moving to cities, so population in the countryside is decreasing. I think it is a positive development to move from rural areas to countryside. It will help them to exlpore new things which was absent in rural areas such as tall buildings, new cafes and great shopping centre.
To commence with, one of the main benefits to move from rural areas to urban cities they will have a chance to grasp career opportunities. To clear it, in many rural areas there are fewer high secondary schools to gain excellent education. In the rural areas, there was a lack of outstanding colleges and good job opportunities so this is main reason for migration. For example, one of my aunts living in a village she was suffering from cancer, one day her health become worst and there was no cancer specialist hospital, then they move into a city that beneficial for their health. Hence, due to lack of facilities and opportunities a large number of people move from rural to urban areas.
Moving on further, there are not only disadvantage of living in rural areas there are advantages also such as we can see more greneery that pleasent for our eye sight and exlpore the nature. Furthermore, the main benefits for living in a rural areas there are less amount of pollution as compared to urban areas. For instance, living in a high polluted areas it causes disease like difficulty in breathing, asthama and allergies. In the rural areas people grew fresh vegetables on thier farm without using pesticides and fertilisers as such in urban areas mostly vegetables and fruits are grown with the help of chemicals and by giving injections.
To sum up, moving from urban to cities areas is positive development for rural people, they can achieve their desire goals by exploring fields.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a position, but the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you mention career opportunities and healthcare, the arguments are somewhat repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the transition between the benefits of urban life and the advantages of rural life is abrupt, making the overall position feel slightly contradictory. To improve, ensure that each paragraph focuses on supporting your central thesis rather than listing disparate points. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is often disrupted by awkward transitions and unclear referencing. For example, the phrase 'To clear it' is not a standard cohesive device, and the connection between the aunt's health anecdote and the broader argument about urban migration is tenuous. While you use some linking words like 'To commence with' and 'Furthermore', they are sometimes used mechanically or inappropriately. Improving the use of cohesive devices to show clear relationships between sentences and ideas would significantly enhance the readability and structure of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several spelling errors, such as 'exlpore', 'greneery', 'pleasent', 'asthama', and 'thier'. Additionally, some word choices are imprecise, such as 'grasp career opportunities' or 'give injections' when referring to agricultural practices. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic of urbanization and migration, and ensure that you proofread your work to eliminate basic spelling mistakes that distract the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'one of my aunts... she was'), missing articles (e.g., 'in high polluted areas'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'there are not only disadvantage of living in rural areas there are advantages also'). While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of these errors limits the score. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly the use of articles and consistent verb tenses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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