Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-20

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 true that in many parts of the world, villagers are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing. I think it is negative development because of the reduction of professional workers in the countryside and environmental challenges in cities.

The number of professional workers is reducing in the villages. Professionals are getting less opportunities and financial facilities in the rural sides. For example, garment workers in the villages get less money for sewing other's clothes, which makes them demotivated. Skillful workers, therefore, are reducing in the villages, which causes the economic conditions of the villages.

Furthermore, environment pollution is increasing more in cities. For instance, people in Bangladesh are overcrowding the Dhaka city, and because of bad infrastructure of the city people are not getting enough dustbins to throw their unnecessary materials, which pollutes the air of the city. People are using more car in the city, and it reduces the air quality by producing more carbon. Consequently, environment pollution will hamper the future generation, and they will suffer from various diseases.

However, people can get jobs easily in the city and make more money. They can communicate with other workers in cities easily. But still I believe moving to cities creates more problems rather than its advantages.

In conclusion, although moving from the countryside to cities can provide better opportunities for many people, I believe that it is a negative development. It reduces the amount of skillful workers in the countryside, and it decreases the quality of air, which is also harmful for the health of city people.

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 negative development. You provide two main reasons: the loss of skilled labor in rural areas and environmental degradation in cities. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat under-developed. For instance, the argument regarding 'garment workers' is a specific example but lacks a broader explanation of how this affects the national economy or rural sustainability. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with clear logical links to the overall argument. The conclusion effectively summarizes your position, maintaining consistency throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the transition between the counter-argument in the fourth paragraph and your main argument is somewhat abrupt. Additionally, some cohesive links are mechanical or repetitive. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is smoother, particularly when connecting the cause (migration) to the effect (economic/environmental impact).

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'environmental pollution', 'infrastructure', and 'economic conditions'. However, there is a reliance on simpler vocabulary, and some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'rural sides' instead of 'rural areas' or 'unnecessary materials' instead of 'waste' or 'refuse'. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise collocations and a broader range of academic vocabulary to express your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'it reduces the air quality by producing more carbon' (which is slightly awkward) and 'makes them demotivated' (which is grammatically correct but could be more formal). There are also minor issues with articles and pluralization, such as 'overcrowding the Dhaka city' (should be 'overcrowding Dhaka city') and 'using more car' (should be 'using more cars'). Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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