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)
In recent decades several countries in around the world, people who live in rural areas and now they are moving to developed cities, hence the population in the countryside is decreasing and in cities population is increasing. While this trend offers certain advantages. I believe it also brings some drawbacks, making it both a positive and negative development.
On the other hand, rural areas are not developed, therefore people are moving to cities. This is because in the countryside there do not have many opportunities for people, therefore they are shifting to cities because they believe that modern cities have many industries, which help them to get jobs. Consequently, rural people significant problem is unemployment which after moving in city they can easily get a job. Furthermore, cities have many hospitals and schools which provide good treatment and quality-education to them. For instance, people who live in villages their big concern that there are not have facilities for patients, if people suffer from disease they cannot take the treatment. People can give good education to their children. As a consequence, people can secure their future in a city environment.
On the other hand, the population is rising in cities which is creating a lot of problems. The main reason for this a large number of indivdiuals are living in cities. For that reason, there is very high competition in job market, whereas people cannot get job because there are have only limited vacancies companies and factories. To illustrate, last year in India numerous individuals applied in IT sector, but there were only available 300 vacancies.
To conclude, a large number of people do not have jobs, so they are moving in cities because there are have numerous career options with hospitals and quality education available in city. However, cities over exploitation there very difficult to get the employment.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of rural-to-urban migration. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention job opportunities and healthcare as benefits, and competition as a drawback, the arguments lack depth and specific analysis. For instance, the example regarding the IT sector in India is relevant but could be better integrated to support the argument about urban overpopulation. The position is clear, but the conclusion is slightly repetitive and does not fully synthesize the points made. To improve, ensure each paragraph provides a more detailed explanation of the 'why' and 'how' behind your claims.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'furthermore', 'consequently', and 'to conclude'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as using 'on the other hand' to introduce the second body paragraph when it is not strictly contrasting with the first in a logical way. Additionally, there are issues with referencing; for example, 'there do not have' and 'there are have' are grammatically incorrect and disrupt the flow of ideas. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will help the essay read more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your main points. You use some topic-specific terms like 'unemployment', 'vacancies', and 'over-exploitation'. However, there is a lack of precision and some word-choice errors, such as 'rural people significant problem is unemployment' and 'cities over exploitation'. These errors occasionally make the text sound unnatural. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical form. Avoid repeating basic words like 'people' and 'cities' too frequently by using synonyms or pronouns.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'there do not have', 'there are have'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'people who live in villages their big concern that there are not have facilities'). These errors are persistent throughout the text. While you attempt complex sentences, they are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly the use of 'there is/are' and ensuring that verbs agree with their subjects.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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