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, the 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 skilled workers in the countryside and environmental challenges in cities.

The number of workers are reducing in the villages. Professionals such as teachers, doctors are migrating, and villagers are suffering from lack of healthcare and education. For example, well-known skilled teachers in the villages get less money, which makes them demotivated, and they try to shift to big cities. While workers do get enough money from the cities, their migration create imbalance in the village population, and people can not get sufficient skilled workers. Skilled workers, therefore, are reducing in the villages, which causes the economic conditions of the villages.

Furthermore, environmental pollution is increasing more in cities. For instance, people in Bangladesh are overcrowding in Dhaka, and because of bad infrastructure of the city they 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 do cars decrease the quality of air, but these also hampers the health of humans. Consequently, environmental pollution threatens the future generation, and they may suffer from various diseases.

In conclusion, although moving from the countryside to cities can provide better opportunities for many people, I believe that the overall impact is negative. It reduces the amount of skilled laborers 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 arguments: the loss of skilled workers in rural areas and the environmental degradation in cities. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat under-developed. For instance, the point about the 'economic conditions of the villages' is mentioned but not fully explained. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more thorough analysis of the consequences rather than just stating the problem. The position is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes your main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, in the second paragraph, the transition 'Skilled workers, therefore, are reducing' feels a bit repetitive given the previous sentence. Additionally, the referencing in the second paragraph is slightly unclear regarding how the migration specifically causes the economic decline. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring tighter logical connections between sentences would enhance the coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'migrating', 'demotivated', 'imbalance', and 'infrastructure'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'unnecessary materials' is not the most natural way to describe waste, and 'hampers the health' is slightly awkward in this context. You attempt to use less common vocabulary, but some choices lack precision. To improve, focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—and try to use more precise academic terminology to express your ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'The number of workers are reducing' should be 'is reducing' (subject-verb agreement), and 'their migration create' should be 'creates'. Additionally, 'these also hampers' contains a subject-verb agreement error. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and pluralization will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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