Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

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.

One major disadvantage of this trend is the reduction of professional workers 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 clothing other's clothes, which makes them demotivated. Skillful workers, therefore, are reducing in the villages, which causes the economic conditions of the villages.

Another negative consequence is the environment pollution of 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.

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

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the trend is negative. However, the essay fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the two main points—the loss of professional workers and environmental degradation—are relevant, they are under-developed. The examples provided, such as the garment workers and the situation in Dhaka, are brief and lack the depth required for a higher band score. To improve, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed explanations and specific consequences to ensure the response is fully developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'One major disadvantage,' 'Another negative consequence,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by the brevity of the sentences. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the economic impact on villages and the environmental impact on cities could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the overall structure feels somewhat mechanical due to the limited length of the supporting arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'professional workers,' 'infrastructure,' and 'environmental challenges.' However, there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'financial facilities' and 'clothing other's clothes,' which sound unnatural. Additionally, there is a minor error with the word 'harmly,' which should be 'harmful.' To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to express your ideas more fluently and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'it causes the economic conditions of the villages' is incomplete, and 'people are using more car' should be 'more cars.' There are also issues with article usage and pluralization. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring accuracy in subject-verb agreement and pluralization will help improve this score.

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