Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-30

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 6.0)

Migration is a change that occurs in every society. People move from one place to another in search of better life, health and education. From the recent events like rapid development in technology and industry, it is inevitable to not expect migration. Many of the scientific and economic advancements happens only in developed areas like cities which makes cities more welcoming for other people from rural areas.

I think this is a negative development because country needs a balance proportion of its population in certain areas to sustain itself without depending on other countries. If rural people keeps migrating to cities, the population in the countryside will plummet significantly breaking the necessary balance required for the country. This can also inspire more and more people from under-develop or rural areas to move to cities which will hinder the development of those rural areas simply because of lack of manpower to do so. Lack of manpower can also lead to social disasters like there won't b enough people in those areas to help each-others which would make rural areas even more less popular to live on. In situation of emergency, the people living on the countryside would suffer because of significantly low amount of helping hands.

We also have examples of some countries like Japan, South Korea, etc. where villages are left empty due to migration and lack of support from the government. In Japan, we can find whole villages left empty because of central government focusing on developed areas more than necessary which made people shift to city areas leaving occupations like local farming and animal rearing which further leads to country needing to import those things. There are also solution to this problem which Japan has been constantly fighting for and nearly spent 300M yen to make it effective. And, slowly but surely it is working as peoples are returning back and settling back in those abandoned villages which can improve Japan's reputation and GDP as well.

In my opinion, moving to cities really harms the harmony between cities and villages and break the link of trading. I do acknowledge that people should have freedom to live where-ever they want but one should also think long term and acknowledge one's country's future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly, taking a firm position that rural-to-urban migration is a negative development. You provide relevant reasons, such as the loss of manpower and the threat to national self-sufficiency. The inclusion of examples from Japan and South Korea adds depth to your argument. However, the development of ideas is slightly uneven; while the economic impact is well-covered, the social consequences could be explored with more nuance. Overall, the position is consistent throughout, and the main points are relevant and supported, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as the economic impact or the specific case study of Japan. You use cohesive devices like 'In situation of emergency' and 'In my opinion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'those things' in the third paragraph, which is a bit vague. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas is generally clear, justifying a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'inevitable', 'plummet', and 'self-sufficiency' (implied). There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'balance proportion' instead of 'balanced proportion' and 'under-develop' instead of 'underdeveloped'. Additionally, phrases like 'make rural areas even more less popular' are awkward. While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the errors in collocation and word formation occasionally hinder the precision of your expression. This level of lexical control is consistent with a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully convey your ideas, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'country needs a balance proportion' (missing article), 'people keeps migrating' (subject-verb agreement), and 'there won't b enough' (spelling/typo). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor slips throughout. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. A wider range of error-free complex structures would be needed to reach the next band level.

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