Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In recent years, most of countries in the global World, people shifting to the cities, so the rural area is going to decreasing population. Some people argue that its a positive development and some people argue that is negative. According to me it is a positive development but the migration toward the cities has a some drawbacks on countryside as well as cities population.

On the first hand, some people are support that is a positive steps, in the urban-side a lot of benefits like hospitals, schools, job area, factories, parks and other facilities in the cities that is one of the major reason most of the individuals move toward cities. People think about for their children future because their children learn in good schools, and other benefits. City is totally crowded and no fresh air, no eat to good food.

On the other hand, population in the countryside is decrease because most of people moving into the cities. countryside has less benefits but the life if village is pure and easy. People get up early in the morning went to walk and got fresh air, the food is pure like milk and people is so strong and brave and healthy due to they ate quality of foods. Most people has jobs in cities and they bring family in the city. If village is empty then how is growing food for all of the people.

in conclusion, cities has most advantages then less disadvantages, that is the biggest reason people move into cities for their bright future. But the life of villages is more pure then cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of rural-to-urban migration. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention benefits like hospitals and schools, the explanation is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. The position is clear, but the argument remains superficial. To improve, you should provide more specific examples or logical consequences for your points. For instance, instead of just listing facilities, explain how access to specialized healthcare or higher education directly impacts the quality of life or economic productivity. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the points raised in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'On the first hand' is not a standard English idiom; 'On the one hand' would be correct. Transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt, making the flow feel disjointed. While there is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and conclusion, the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the writing feel somewhat simplistic. Improving the variety of cohesive devices would help the ideas connect more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'benefits', and 'people'. There are also several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'most of countries in the global World' (should be 'most countries in the world') and 'no eat to good food'. To achieve a higher score, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and collocations, such as 'urbanization', 'infrastructure', 'agricultural output', or 'socio-economic development', rather than repeating simple descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('population in the countryside is decrease'), missing articles, and incorrect sentence structures ('Most people has jobs in cities and they bring family in the city'). While you attempt some complex sentences, they are often marred by errors, such as 'due to they ate quality of foods'. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically verb tenses and pluralization, before attempting more complex structures. Proofreading for basic errors like 'is' vs 'are' would 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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