Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

People are moving towards the city leaving the rural areas around the world to get better facilities, however it does have positive effects as well as the negative effects for the development.

Due to the shortage of basic life necessities : clean water, healthcare, education and limited economic opportunities; people do migrate from the rural areas to urban sides. They pay a fortune to get settled in that environment and have better life facilities that they actually deserve, and this highlights the importance of moving for a better future and demonstrates the positive outcome for the development.

But due to the substantial migration of many rural citizens in the direction of urban areas is leading to the drop of population in countrysides. Which does have a negative impact, the foremost is the over-population in the developed cities, giving rise to the shortage of homes, contributing to the surge in traffic and much more. This not only affects the urban areas but also the rural areas; the abandonment of houses, shortage of farmers and cultivators leads to less crop production which, as a result shrinks the supply of crops and other food resources received from the land.

Hence; migration leads to both good and bad directions. Having a good life style is the right of everyone but if that is leading towards not so good outcomes; individuals should learn to make new ways and find better opportunities and work hard to achieve them. In my opinion, if it increases the likelihood of having good life in urban area, one should definitely opt for it but if it leads to more stress and the person can not cope with it, he/she should definitely think of what is more better.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of rural-to-urban migration. You have a clear position, though it is somewhat balanced rather than taking a strong stance. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of better facilities in cities versus the decline in agricultural production. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the conclusion is a bit vague and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more detailed explanation or a concrete example to support your claims, rather than just listing potential impacts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'however', 'due to', and 'as a result', to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'Hence; migration leads to...'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'necessities', 'economic opportunities', and 'over-population'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'urban sides' instead of 'urban areas' and 'what is more better', which is grammatically incorrect. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing to enhance the overall quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar, such as the misuse of semicolons ('Hence; migration...') and subject-verb agreement issues ('the foremost is the over-population... giving rise to...'). Some sentences are also slightly fragmented or run-on. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction and punctuation rules to ensure your writing is more polished and accurate.

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

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