Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-21

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 7.0)

Nowadays, many people are moving from rural areas to cities in search of better jobs and living conditions. Although this migration can provide people with more opportunities, I believe that it is a negative development overall because it can reduce the rural population and create overcrowding in cities.

To begin with, one major disadvantage of this trend is that rural areas lose their young and working population. When young people move to cities for better jobs and education, fewer people remain in the countryside to work in agriculture and local businesses. As a result, the rural economy may become weaker and some farms may be left unused. For example, in India, many young people move from villages to cities such as Ahmedabad and Mumbai in search of better employment opportunities.

Furthermore, the movement of people to cities can put significant pressure on urban areas. A rapid increase in population can lead to traffic congestion, air pollution and shortage of affordable housing. In addition, public services such as hospitals, schools and public transport may become overcrowded. Therefore, if too many people move to cities, the quality of life for both new and existing residents can decrease.

In conclusion, although moving to cities can provide people with better employment and education opportunities, I believe that it is a negative development overall. This is because rural areas can lose their working population, while cities may face problems such as overcrowding, pollution and pressure on public services. This trend should therefore be carefully controlled.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have taken a clear position from the introduction and maintained it throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, with the first body paragraph focusing on the economic and social decline of rural areas, and the second paragraph detailing the infrastructural and environmental pressures on cities. The use of a specific example (India) helps to ground your argument. The response is balanced and logical, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0 or 8.0. To reach the higher band, you could further extend the analysis by briefly mentioning potential solutions or counter-arguments to add more depth to the discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, and the transition between the rural perspective and the urban perspective is smooth. You have used a range of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion'. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is easy to follow. The structure is coherent, and the use of referencing is clear throughout the text. The response demonstrates a high level of control over the logical flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'working population', 'traffic congestion', and 'affordable housing' are used accurately and appropriately in context. There is an awareness of collocation, and the vocabulary is natural. While the range is adequate for a Band 7.0, incorporating a few more sophisticated, less common lexical items (e.g., 'urbanization', 'demographic shift', or 'infrastructure strain') would elevate the response further. The spelling is accurate throughout, and there are no instances where word choice impedes communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences ('if too many people move...') and complex noun phrases. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is excellent. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively to convey your ideas. There are no significant grammatical errors that distract the reader or impede meaning. To achieve a higher band, you could experiment with more varied sentence beginnings or more advanced grammatical structures like inversion or passive voice constructions where appropriate.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.