Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-05

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)

The rural people moving out of country side to cities, resulting in decreasing population there is a negative development as it has many consequences for the countryside as well as cities.

Where there may seem some advantages for the people moving to cities to find opportunities for themselves, but it is overcrowding the cities for its inhabitants. The issues of accommodation and pollution has increased manifolds. The traffic congestion has become frequent. Moreover, the facilities for public has reduced due to migration of people from countryside to cities.

The negative impacts on countryside are also visible. Due to the migration of people from there, the population of countryside has decreased. Therefore, the government development funds are less directed to these places now. Apart from that, the reduced population has also resulted in reduction of crop fields at the country side and agricultural economy has taken a great hit. The reduced crop production is negatively impacting the economy and government has to import more food items from foreign countries. As a result, the imbalance in trade has directed more public funds towards food security and other development schemes for increasing the standard of public lives has less funds now.

In view of the above, the negative effects of people moving from the countryside to the cities outweigh its benefits. Therefore, I am of the opinion that instead of supporting the notion of this migration, it is the need of an hour to provide facilities at countryside and make people stay there.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position that the migration is a negative development. You have provided relevant arguments regarding both the urban overcrowding and the decline of rural agricultural productivity. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'government development funds' is mentioned but not fully explored with specific examples or deeper analysis. To reach a higher band, ensure that each main idea is supported by a concrete example or a more detailed explanation of the causal link. The conclusion is clear and reinforces your stance, which helps in maintaining a consistent position throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Therefore', and 'As a result' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the shift from urban issues to rural issues in the second paragraph could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes slightly unclear, such as in the phrase 'the facilities for public has reduced', where the connection to the previous sentence could be more explicit. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'congestion', 'imbalance in trade', and 'food security'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'increased manifolds' is an incorrect usage of the idiom 'increased manyfold'. Similarly, 'the facilities for public has reduced' is slightly unnatural; 'public amenities' or 'public services' would be more precise. While you attempt to use more sophisticated language, the lack of precision prevents a higher score. Focusing on collocations and ensuring words are used in their correct idiomatic context will help you achieve a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. Subject-verb agreement is an issue in sentences like 'the facilities for public has reduced' (should be 'have reduced') and 'the issues of accommodation and pollution has increased' (should be 'have increased'). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'at the country side' instead of 'in the countryside'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will improve your grade.

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

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