Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-02

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 many countries around the world, people from backward areas are moving to cities, so the population in rural areas in decreasing. From my perspective, it is a positive development.

Many people have been moved to urban areas due to a lot of factors. These factors might include a lack of facilities in education and healthcare. Individuals in rural areas face difficulty in getting higher quality education because there are no proper educational institutions for students. For instance, a student may move to a city to study at a well-reputed university because better educational opportunities are available there. On the other hand, another factor that contribute to this is that people in countryside face difficulty in getting proper treatment for an illness because of inadequate medical equipment. For example, if a person gets sick, he has to move to a city for getting a proper treatment.

Population in countryside is decreasing because people are striving for a successful future. Everyone wants financial stability, whereas there are no job opportunities in backward areas. Furthermore, citizens want a stable source of income for a better future, and it might be only possible if you have a good job or business. Knowledge and experience are essential for a job. In the modern world everyone wants to get a good quality education due to which many adults believe in leaving their hometown for pursuing their studies. For example, a person might shift to a city in order to build a career.

In conclusion, it is a positive development because it might help people in becoming better version of themselves.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that rural-to-urban migration is a positive development. The ideas are relevant, focusing on education, healthcare, and career prospects. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive; for instance, the points about education and career opportunities are mentioned in both the second and third paragraphs. To reach a higher band, you should aim to extend your arguments with more specific, varied examples or deeper analysis rather than restating similar points. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the main arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use some cohesive devices such as 'For instance,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is slightly abrupt, and some of the referencing is mechanical. The flow of ideas could be improved by using a wider variety of cohesive markers to show the relationship between your arguments more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the overall progression of the argument feels a bit circular due to the repetition of points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'urban areas,' 'financial stability,' and 'educational institutions.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic phrasing. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'backward areas,' which is not the most natural or academic term for rural regions. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common vocabulary to demonstrate a broader range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. For example, 'another factor that contribute to this' should be 'contributes,' and 'people in countryside' requires an article ('the countryside'). Additionally, 'for getting a proper treatment' is slightly awkward; 'to receive proper treatment' would be more natural. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.

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

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