Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Its a positive development because at the rural side people have less opportunities to learn , meet new people , getting good job , making good money etc.

In the city people can get new good ideas by meeting new people and visiting new places which will help them to learn new things and gating new ideas.

In the city you can go good hospitals for health and people can get good education.

If i talk about the decreasing the population in rural areas so its not all about the population only because county will have more people to present the good educated and working people to the world and those people which are coming from rural areas to cities will get a good job , doing good revenue generated business and paying a good amount of tax to the country.

My example is that my one good friend was living in the ghotki which is rural area of sindh pakistan.

He is very educated and good minded guy but because of leas opportunities and leas money he was not able to come city but after some time his father get good profit in their own business and send his son to the city for education then he came to the city karachi pakistan and done his master in business course and apply for a job in a good ranked company, he passed interview and get a accountant job at that company which was paying him 2.5 lacs pakistani rupees to him.

So city can give a chance to fly smoothly at sky and give you more chance to get success in life.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

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 and somewhat repetitive. While you mention benefits like education, healthcare, and employment, these points are not fully extended or supported with sophisticated reasoning. The example provided about your friend is relevant but is narrated in a very informal, anecdotal style that lacks the analytical depth required for an Academic Task 2 essay. To improve, focus on expanding your arguments with more formal evidence or broader societal implications rather than relying on personal storytelling.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear structure. There is no introduction or conclusion, and the paragraphs are not logically organized. The use of cohesive devices is minimal and often repetitive (e.g., starting multiple sentences with 'In the city'). There is a lack of transition between ideas, making the flow of the argument feel disjointed. To achieve a higher band, you must use a clear paragraph structure—introduction, body paragraphs with topic sentences, and a conclusion—and incorporate a wider range of linking words such as 'furthermore,' 'consequently,' or 'in contrast' to connect your ideas more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and often repetitive, relying on simple adjectives like 'good' and 'new.' There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices, such as 'gating new ideas' (likely meant 'getting') and 'revenue generated business.' The range of vocabulary is insufficient to express complex ideas with precision. To improve, you should focus on learning collocations and more academic synonyms for common words. Avoid informal language like 'fly smoothly at sky' and try to use more precise terminology related to urbanization and economic development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'his father get good profit'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are run-on or fragmented, and punctuation is inconsistent. The range of grammatical structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences with some attempts at complex ones that are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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

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