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 a negative development because of the reduction of professional workers in the countryside and environmental challenges in cities.

The amount of professional workers are reducing 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. While they do get enough money from the cities, the workers create imbalance in village population and many people can not get suffcient professional workers. 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. Not only does it decrease the quality of air, but it also hampers the health of humans. 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 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 rural-to-urban migration is a negative development. You provide two main reasons: the loss of skilled labor in rural areas and environmental degradation in cities. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding 'garment workers' is slightly confusing and lacks clarity in its logic. While the position is consistent throughout, the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly explored with more precise examples to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes your main points, maintaining the focus on the negative aspects throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. However, the progression between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the flow within paragraphs could be smoother. For example, the transition from the discussion of garment workers to the economic conditions of villages is a bit abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one to create a more cohesive argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'environmental challenges', 'infrastructure', and 'imbalance'. However, there are instances of awkward word choices and collocations, such as 'financial facilities in the rural sides' and 'clothing other's clothes'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. You attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, which is good, but you need to focus on using these words in more natural, idiomatic combinations to move into the higher band range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'if' or 'although' clauses. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The amount of professional workers are reducing') and article usage. Some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'which causes the economic conditions of the villages', which is an incomplete thought. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and sentence completeness will help improve your accuracy.

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