Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In most nations across the globe, countryside individuals are migrating to urban centers, therefore, the number of people in rural areas is reducing. I believe this is a positive as well as a negative development because it promotes economic growth and development in urban areas and at the same time leads to decreased labour force in the countryside.

To begin with, individuals often migrate to big cities in search of better job opportunities which leads to high economic growth and development of cities. Increased man power in industries and work places is detrimental in high productivity. Furthermore, living standards of people is enhanced and therefore it reduces the poverty level in a given country. For instance, Nairobi city boasts of hundreds of factories in the industrial area, majority of its workforce is as a result of rural_urban migration and therefore, they do not need to import workers from other nations to work for them and as a result millions of money is saved and used as revenue.

In contrast, the migration of people to urban areas results to a decrease in the number of people working on farms. Majority of rural residents depend on farming activities which is the main source of livelihood and when the labour force decreases, productivity is greatly affected. Consequently, food production is affected since the produce is insufficient and in some cases, its of poor quality and therefore, the people in cities depending on rural areas for food supply will end up suffering. For instance, in Nandi Hills ,a rural town known for its production of tea leaves, most of the young men and women have left for Eldoret, Nakuru and Nairobi cities in search of greener pastures, the workforce left behind is mainly composed of old people and children who can not adequately perform their duties well hence reduced output.

In summary, rural to urban migration is important as it boosts economic growth ,however it should be mitigated to minimize reduced labour force in the countryside.

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. The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are relevant and supported by specific examples, such as the industrial growth in Nairobi and the agricultural challenges in Nandi Hills. While the development is generally logical, some points, such as the claim that increased manpower is 'detrimental in high productivity,' contain confusing phrasing that slightly weakens the clarity of the argument. Overall, the response is well-focused and provides a balanced perspective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the positive and negative impacts. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' 'In contrast,' and 'Consequently' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are minor issues with punctuation, such as the comma splice in the first sentence and the spacing before commas in several places, which makes the flow feel slightly mechanical at times. Despite these minor issues, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'rural-urban migration,' 'livelihood,' and 'industrial area.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'detrimental in high productivity' (which should be 'conducive to') and 'millions of money' (which is non-standard). Additionally, there are some minor spelling and spacing errors, such as 'rural_urban' and 'can not' (which should be 'cannot'). These errors do not impede communication but prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'living standards of people is enhanced') and preposition usage (e.g., 'results to a decrease'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several instances of missing or misplaced commas and spacing issues. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over more complex structures, keeping the score in the 6.0 range.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.