Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-24
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 6.0)
In some countries, people living in rural areas are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing. While this trend offers several advantages such as a better future and the overall development, I believe it also offers certain disadvantages, making it both a positive and a negative development.
On the one hand, people migrating to cities can be a positive development because it allows people to make better future. This is because people will get more opportunities in cities as compared to the village areas. For example, if an individual migrates to a metropolitan city, they can get a chance work in top reputed companies. As a result, this will allow an individual to earn higher salaries. Additionally, this trend will contribute to the overall development of an individual. People migrating to cities may learn new trends and explore more places that will help in the overall development of an individual.
On the other hand, there are some negative consequences of this trend. Firstly, the cities may become overpopulate. This view may encourage people to migrate to cities for their benefits which will increase the population of the cities and decrease the population in rural areas. However, this may create environmental imbalance and may increase the chance of natural disasters. Furthermore, this may even lead to increase air pollution in urban areas. This is because if more people are staying in cities, they will require more places to stay, which will be created by cutting down the trees. This will also increase the number of vehicles in the city, which release carbon dioxide and other toxic gases that pollute the air.
In conclusion, people moving to cities may help in the overall development and to create a better future for an individual, it also create various challenges such as increasing population of cities and air pollution of urban areas. Therefore, I would consider this trend to be mainly a positive development, but considering some consequences for a negative development.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing both positive and negative aspects of rural-to-urban migration. The position is clear throughout, although the conclusion is slightly contradictory by stating it is 'mainly a positive development' while also acknowledging it as a 'negative development.' Ideas are relevant, such as economic opportunities and environmental concerns, but some points, like the 'overall development of an individual,' are repetitive and lack specific depth. To reach a higher band, ensure that the arguments are more distinct and that the final stance is consistent and clearly articulated without ambiguity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' 'Additionally,' and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing within sentences could be smoother. For example, the sentence 'This view may encourage people to migrate' is a bit vague in its connection to the previous point about overpopulation. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'metropolitan city' and 'environmental imbalance.' However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'make better future' (should be 'build a better future') and 'overpopulate' (should be 'overpopulated'). The repetition of the phrase 'overall development of an individual' limits the range. Expanding the vocabulary to include more precise academic collocations would improve the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'get a chance work' (missing 'to'), 'lead to increase air pollution' (should be 'lead to increased air pollution'), and 'which will be created by cutting down' (clunky phrasing). Punctuation is generally accurate, but some sentence constructions are slightly awkward. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of infinitive and gerund forms to ensure more error-free complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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