Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-04

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)

Rural people are moving to cities resulting in the decrease of population in the countryside throughout the countries over the world. I personally think this is a negative development because it can weaken rural communities and place excessive pressure on urban areas.

One major drawback of this trend is that it can affect the economical status of rural areas. If youths, in search of better places all migrate to cities then only the aged population will remain resulting in the scarcity of working manpower. Considering how Nepal is a developing country, the rural areas are lacking behind the level of wealth. Thus, majority of Nepalese youths go to cities in search of better opportunities leaving behind only elderlies.

Moreover this can also affect cities as well. All the people moving to cities causes the city to be extremely overcrowded which causes several problems for those living the city. For instance: the traffic can get extremely hectic, there can be scarcity of basic necessity such as food and place to live. Though cities provide better opportunities it doesn't mean everyone will be able to grasp it which results to the large unemployment problem as well.

In conclusion, people moving from rural to cities causes greater negative impacts compared to positive benefits. Contrary to popular belief, moving to cities doesn't necessarily mean a better future is promised instead i strongly think it's better to focus on rural areas to improve the education system along with rural area's infrastructure so that there isn't any vast difference between cities and rural areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a negative position and providing reasons for both rural and urban impacts. The ideas are relevant, such as the 'scarcity of working manpower' in villages and 'overcrowding' in cities. However, the development is somewhat limited; the argument regarding the 'economical status' of rural areas could be further extended with more specific examples beyond the mention of Nepal. While the position is clear throughout, the conclusion introduces a new suggestion (improving infrastructure) that was not fully explored in the body paragraphs. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task well, but the depth of analysis remains at a general level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'One major drawback', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the use of 'also' in 'Moreover this can also affect cities as well' is redundant. Referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'scarcity', 'hectic', and 'infrastructure'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'lacking behind' (should be 'lagging behind') and 'place to live' (should be 'housing'). The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score. The repetition of 'rural' and 'cities' suggests a need for more varied synonyms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'throughout the countries over the world' (awkward phrasing), 'only elderlies' (should be 'the elderly'), and 'results to the large unemployment' (should be 'results in'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are minor issues, such as the missing colon or comma usage after 'For instance'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. A greater variety of error-free complex structures would be needed to reach the next band.

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

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