Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-28
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 time we are seeing that people living in rural areas are moving towards town sides for many reasons. People who are not financially good are moving towards town sides in search of jobs and many other reasons. The advantages and disadvantages will be discussed below in the essay.
Nowadays a large amount of population is moving from rural areas to urban areas in search of jobs, better lifestyle, etc. In some way it is a positive development. The country side people who move to town side get opportunity to learn many things. They get income in the town side which they were not able to get in the town side. The urban areas are very much under developed areas. Many people shift to town side for better lifestyle. They get better education in the town side.
On the other hand there are some of disadvantages of this development. The people who come from country side to town side for income get a very low level work with low wages as they are not much skilled. The people are suddenly exposed to the highly polluted environment of the town side which they haven't experienced in the country side. This also cause population congestion which further result in shortage of basic natural resources due to over usage.
In opinion this development has both advantages and disadvantages. The government should work for better facilities in rural areas like education, employment, etc. So that people would not move to urban areas in search of these facilities. This can decrease the chance of over population in urban areas and shortage of natural resources.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of rural-to-urban migration. However, the position is not clearly maintained throughout the essay. While you mention that it is a 'positive development' in the second paragraph, you then pivot to significant disadvantages in the third, without a clear concluding stance on whether the overall trend is positive or negative. The ideas are relevant but remain somewhat superficial; for example, the claim that 'urban areas are very much under developed' is confusing and contradicts the premise of people moving there for better opportunities. To improve, ensure your position is clearly stated in the introduction and consistently supported throughout the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'in the town side' are used excessively, which hinders the flow of the text. Additionally, some transitions between sentences are abrupt, making the progression of ideas feel disjointed. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and referencing (e.g., using pronouns or synonyms) to connect your ideas more fluidly rather than relying on the same repetitive phrases at the start of every sentence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is significant repetition of basic terms such as 'town side', 'country side', and 'people'. Some word choices are unnatural or inaccurate, such as 'financially good' (instead of 'financially disadvantaged' or 'low-income') and 'low level work' (instead of 'unskilled labour'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to urbanisation, such as 'migration', 'infrastructure', 'socio-economic', and 'urban sprawl', and avoid repeating the same simple phrases throughout the essay.
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 impede clarity. For instance, 'In recent time we are seeing' should be 'In recent times, we have seen', and 'This also cause population congestion' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('causes'). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'in the town side'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tenses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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