Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-29

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)

Nowadays, urban migration is becoming increasingly common around the world. Rural residents are moving to cities and, as a result, the population of rural areas is declining. I believe that this trend has both positive and negative consequences, depending on the extent of migration.

On the positive side, migration to urban areas can provide people with better access to essential services such as hospitals, schools and public transportation. Cities generally offer a wider range of employment opportunities, allowing migrants to find better-paying jobs and improve their living standards. At the same time, various industries can benefit from a larger labour force, which can contribute to economic growth and increased productivity. This is particularly important in developing countries, where employment opportunities are often concentrated in urban areas.

On the negative side, excessive migration can cause cities to become overcrowded and put considerable pressure on public services and infrastructure. As the urban population increases, demand for housing, food and transportation may rise faster than supply, resulting in higher prices. In addition, an oversupply of workers can lead to increased competition for jobs and lower wages. Meanwhile, rural areas may suffer from labour shortages because many working-age people leave in search of better employment opportunities. This can reduce agricultural production and negatively affect rural communities.

In my opinion, urban migration is beneficial to some extent because it can improve people's access to employment and essential services and contribute to economic growth. However, excessive migration can create serious problems when cities exceed their capacity and rural areas lose too much of their workforce. Therefore, governments should promote balanced development by creating more employment opportunities and improving public services in rural areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of rural-to-urban migration. You have maintained a clear position throughout, acknowledging the complexity of the issue. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the points regarding economic growth and infrastructure strain. To reach a higher band, you could provide a more specific real-world example, such as mentioning a particular country or region experiencing these effects, to further substantiate your arguments. Overall, the response is balanced and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs covering opposing views, and a concise conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the progression of ideas is smooth. You have used cohesive devices such as 'On the positive side', 'At the same time', and 'In addition' effectively to link your thoughts. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the argument. The flow is natural, and the relationship between ideas is consistently clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have demonstrated a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task. Phrases like 'essential services', 'labour force', 'infrastructure', and 'balanced development' are used accurately. The vocabulary is precise and helps convey your meaning effectively. While the range is sufficient, incorporating a few more sophisticated or less common collocations could elevate the score further. For instance, instead of 'serious problems', you might use 'detrimental repercussions'. The spelling is accurate throughout, and the word choice is consistently appropriate for the context of the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good command of grammatical structures. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as the conditional structure in the final paragraph: 'excessive migration can create serious problems when cities exceed their capacity'. Punctuation is used correctly, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, showing a high level of control. To aim for a higher band, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex sentence types, such as inversion or more advanced relative clauses.

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