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)

In many countries people are migrating from rural areas to cities to upgrade their life stlye. Due to which I completely believe that people will have access to latest facilties, better job opportunities and modern infrastructure.

The primary reason is that cities are well developed and provides a range of facilites like good healthcare system, shopping malls, and high-qaulity schooling which are essential for a healthy life style and cannot be easily accessible in countryside. As a result, individuals have opportunities to grow in a modern environment and to equipped themselves with modern tools and technologies.For example, pakistan recorded the highest migration to urban areas becuase rural areas are less developed and lacked basic facilities.

Another main reason it that cities provide opportunities to individuals to grow in their career and contributes to the economy. This becuase all major institutions and organizations are located in cities which paid them a handsome amount and long term career growth. Consquently, a large number of individals prefer to work and live in cities.For instance, computer science graduates are moving to main cities instead of countryside. This is becuase rural areas are lacking major facilities which are neccessary for a organization and professional.

On the contrary, some people argue that it will cause traffic congestion and have a negative affect on environment. But i believe that we can overcome on these issues with modern solutions and careful planing

In conclusion, i firmly believe that it is a postive development. As it is fundamental right of every person to facilitate themselve with modern facilities and to grow in a professional environment as well as live a healthy life.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The ideas are relevant, focusing on infrastructure, job opportunities, and personal growth. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding Pakistan is brief and lacks sufficient detail to fully support the argument. While the counter-argument is acknowledged, it is dismissed rather quickly without deep analysis. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your examples and provide more nuanced reasoning for why the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, rather than just listing them.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'The primary reason', 'Another main reason', and 'On the contrary'. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing and sentence-level cohesion, such as 'Due to which I completely believe', which is grammatically awkward and disrupts the logical flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence connects smoothly to the next would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'infrastructure', 'urban areas', and 'career growth'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'stlye', 'facilties', 'qaulity', 'neccessary', and 'planing'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable. Furthermore, the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited; you rely on basic descriptors. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure you proofread your work to eliminate basic spelling mistakes that detract from your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain grammatical errors, such as 'Due to which I completely believe' (fragment) and 'This becuase all major institutions... are located in cities which paid them' (tense inconsistency). There are also frequent subject-verb agreement issues, such as 'cities... provides' and 'rural areas are lacking... for a organization'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent. Increasing your control over complex structures and ensuring consistent verb tenses will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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