Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
People from regional areas are moving to cities which causes the downfall in the population in the countryside in many countries across the world. Although, moving to the cities has consequences, I believe that this is a positive development because in cities people can have more facilities and a better lifestyle. (jobs)
In cities, individuals from rural areas can have access to more facilities such as hospitals, higher educational institutions, supermarkets and places with entertainment activities. It is mainly because there are not enough institutes of medicine and education. For instance, whenever some get a disease he or she have to visit hospitals in the cities to get proper treatment. Regional people also want to enjoy different kinds of foods for which they often come to the cities and then they go back to regional area.
The other main reason for my perspective is that people can have more opportunities in job market. They can earn more and make their lifestyle better. They can provide higher education to their children. It is mainly because regional people do not have much opportunities to increase their income. Furthermore, they do not have secondary schools and universities in regional areas where their children can continue their higher education. People obliged to move to cities so that their children can do much better in their life than themselves.
In conclusion, rural areas do not have enough facilities of hospitals, supermarkets and schools .Consequently, people have to move to the cities in order to facilitate their lives and also for their offspring's betterment.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the migration is a positive development. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. While you mention access to hospitals and education, the arguments in the second and third paragraphs overlap significantly. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the broader societal implications of this shift, such as the economic impact on rural areas or the potential for urban overcrowding, rather than focusing solely on individual benefits. The conclusion is brief and merely restates the points made earlier without adding a final synthesis or reflection.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'For instance,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Consequently' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the repetition of phrases like 'regional people' and 'in cities' makes the text feel slightly monotonous. Improving the variety of linking words and using more sophisticated referencing would enhance the overall cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'facilities,' 'people,' and 'better.' While these words are used correctly, they do not demonstrate the range required for a higher band. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'downfall in the population' (a more natural choice would be 'decline in the population'). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to urbanization, socio-economic development, and infrastructure.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'whenever some get a disease he or she have to visit' (subject-verb agreement) and 'do not have much opportunities' (quantifier error). Additionally, there are punctuation errors, such as the space before the parenthesis in the introduction. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and pluralization will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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