Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-25

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 many countries, people are leaving country side areas and moving to cities, leading to a decline in the population of the country side. Although this trend brings economic and industrial growth, I believe that is largely negative development because it creates problems for urban and rural communities.

On the other hand, migration to cities can improve people’s living standards. Urban areas provide better employment opportunities, higher salaries and modern medical facilities. They have many industrial companies, and there is a chance to get government and private jobs. For example, when people come to the cities, they bring national economic growth and boost productivity. This can help our economic growth and give companies a chance to get skilled workers.

However, moving to rural areas has several drawbacks. Firstly, villages and small towns may suffer from labour shortages, particularly in agriculture, which is essential for food production. Another drawback is that people may suffer from living costs, because it can increase living costs. On the other hand, overcrowding, traffic congestion, and pollution are commonly faced by many metropolitan areas.

In my opinion, moving to rural areas brings economic growth but also people face many problems. For example, in countries such as China and India, they daily face problems in cities in search of work.

In conclusion, despite the economic advantages associated with urban migration, I believe the decline in countryside populations is mainly a negative development because it causes an imbalance in regional development and creates serious social and environmental challenges.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by presenting a clear position that the migration is a negative development. You provide relevant arguments for both sides, such as economic growth in cities versus agricultural labour shortages in rural areas. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'living costs' is mentioned but not fully explained or linked to the broader argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explored with specific examples or logical consequences. Your conclusion effectively summarises your stance, maintaining a consistent position throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'However', and 'Firstly' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly repetitive or mechanical. For example, you use 'On the other hand' twice in the second and third paragraphs, which affects the flow. Additionally, the referencing in the fourth paragraph is slightly confusing, as you mention 'moving to rural areas' when the context of the essay is about moving to cities. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring precise referencing would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'industrial growth', 'labour shortages', and 'metropolitan areas'. There are some instances of word-choice errors, such as 'moving to rural areas' in the fourth paragraph, which contradicts your intended meaning of urban migration. Furthermore, some phrasing is slightly simplistic, such as 'they daily face problems'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items to convey your ideas with greater sophistication and accuracy, while ensuring that your word choices consistently align with the topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'I believe that is largely negative development' (missing an article 'a') and 'people may suffer from living costs, because it can increase living costs' (which is repetitive and slightly awkward). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading. Increasing the variety of complex structures, such as using more conditional or passive constructions, would help demonstrate greater grammatical control.

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