Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-26

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, the population in the countryside has been following a downward trend, while rural individuals are moving to urban areas in several nations around the world. This essay will discuss the main aspects of the topic and present a clear viewpoint. Overall, it seems to me that this is a positive development for certain reasons.

To begin with, one significant aspect is that people will have access to better opportunities for education and healthcare. This is mainly because, there are numerous institutions and hospitals in the city, which means that they can benefit from these facilities. For example, many students build up their career by studying at universities in cities and they can help rural people. If citizens move from village to urban, they will get a lot of aminities to people lives. Moreover, changing area is a crucial factor in this regard.

In addition, another notable feature is that, individuals will have access to get a secure employment. One possible reason is that they can enrich their income leading a better workplace. For instance, rural areas mainly depend on agricultural jobs, but there are a sorts of workplace in urban areas such as industrial companies are the most common. Furthermore, adopting effective measures can develop the overall situation.

In conclusion, moving rural to city requires a balanced view from different perspective. I firmly believe that it can be developed by some ways of the country. As a result, this situation can can bring a long-term benefits to individuals and society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that rural-to-urban migration is a positive development. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention education, healthcare, and employment, the explanations are somewhat superficial. For example, the sentence 'If citizens move from village to urban, they will get a lot of aminities to people lives' is vague and lacks specific detail. The conclusion is also quite repetitive and does not effectively summarize the main points or provide a final thought. To improve, you should expand on your arguments with more concrete examples and ensure that your reasoning is fully developed rather than just stated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction and conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' to signal the progression of your ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and some transitions feel forced, such as 'Moreover, changing area is a crucial factor in this regard', which does not clearly connect to the previous point. Additionally, some sentences lack logical cohesion, making the progression of ideas feel slightly disjointed at times. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each sentence builds logically on the previous one would enhance the coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You use some relevant terms like 'downward trend', 'urban areas', and 'agricultural jobs', but there are also instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'get a lot of aminities to people lives' and 'get a secure employment'. There are also minor spelling errors like 'aminities' (amenities). To achieve a higher score, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and precise vocabulary to express your ideas more naturally and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect the clarity of your writing. Examples include 'moving rural to city' (should be 'moving from rural areas to cities'), 'there are a sorts of workplace' (should be 'there are all sorts of workplaces'), and 'it can be developed by some ways of the country'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement, preposition usage, and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately.

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

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