Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

In numerous nations all over the globe, citizens move from villages to urban areas, thus reducing the number of people living in rural areas. I think this is a negative delevopment, because the culture of the countryside may become extinct and seniors unable or unwilling to change their home will be left alone.

The culture of rural civilization is at risk of being forgotten. For many decades, the culture of the countryside has been developing and founding many diverse festivals and habits. When most of the previous inhabitants move to cities, these norms can not be practised by the community in a large manner. Hence, these traditions become unpopular over time and are therefore at risk of going extinct locally. Many villages, namely Kraupa in Germany, experience this sudden decline of inhabitants. The previously renonwned festival for sports had to close last year, due to fewer visitors from the area, which is a major loss in my perspective.

On the other hand, many old citizens that live in villages might be unwilling to move from their homes. The majority of people leaving the countryside in favor of urban areas are of young age. The oldest of the families remain more often than not in the respecitve village, while slowly turning lonely. A feeling of loneliness is especially difficult to cope with at an older age, as their bodies and minds deteriorate. If their entire families were to move from rural areas, these pensioneers could be on the risk of dying alone. For example, 23% of rural citizens in Australia in 2025 had their final breath without the presence of family, due to most of the children moving away.

In conclusion, the decrease of the rural population in many countries, because of people moving to cities, is an overall negative development. Especially the gradual vanishing of local cultures and the remaining seniors in these village concern me deeply.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response clearly addresses the prompt by taking a firm stance that rural-to-urban migration is a negative development. You have identified two distinct, relevant reasons: the loss of cultural heritage and the social isolation of the elderly. These points are logically extended with specific examples, such as the mention of Kraupa in Germany and the statistics regarding rural Australia. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the ideas are well-developed. To reach a higher band, ensure that the conclusion does not merely repeat the introduction but synthesizes the main arguments more effectively to provide a stronger final impression.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Hence', 'On the other hand', and 'For example' to link sentences and ideas effectively. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more varied. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the argument well. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices to create a more natural flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas with precision. Phrases like 'deteriorate', 'extinct', and 'social isolation' (implied) show a good grasp of topic-specific language. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'delevopment', 'renonwned', and 'respecitve', which are distracting but do not impede communication. You also use some less common items, though there is room for more sophisticated collocations to elevate the tone. The vocabulary is generally appropriate for an academic task, but more careful proofreading would help eliminate the spelling slips that currently hold the score back.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional sentence 'If their entire families were to move... these pensioneers could be on the risk of dying alone.' While there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'on the risk' (should be 'at risk') and 'pensioneers' (spelling), these do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. The majority of your sentences are clear and error-free. To achieve a higher band, aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures, such as passive voice or inverted conditionals, and ensure greater accuracy in prepositional usage.

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

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