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)

As we noticed that nowadays, people living in rural areas are moving towards the cities for many reasons such as, less employment opportunities, least access to the world class education system, and living with no money on those rural areas. And I would like to argue that, this is a negative development that is taking serious condition for future of those countries.

Last few years ago, people are moving in a great quantity from rural areas to the cities. And the reason I assumed is that their government are not investing in rural areas and people are getting exhausted of working in agricultural fields manually which took a lot of time and energy. On the other hand, the more developed countries are investing on their rural areas that is more beneficial for them in future.

For instance, we can see countries like Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, they are in their developing stage but they are not investing on their farmer people and I think this is because of lack of good leadership in that countries. As I am also from Pakistan, and I know that people are now doing migration just because of less use of technology in agricultural fields.

In my opinion, this is a negative development for countries specially who are on their developing stage and this migration action of people can have several consequences on countries economy and the most paramount reason behind this is that

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While you clearly state your position that rural-to-urban migration is a negative development, the essay is incomplete; it ends abruptly in the final paragraph without concluding the argument. The ideas presented, such as the lack of investment in agriculture and the need for better leadership, are relevant but remain under-developed. To improve, ensure you fully develop each point with specific examples and provide a clear, finished conclusion that summarises your main arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay shows some logical organization, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a clear stance. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the final paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand' and 'For instance,' but they are sometimes used mechanically or with minor errors in placement. Paragraphing is present, but the abrupt ending makes the overall structure feel unfinished. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure every paragraph has a clear, completed thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You use some repetitive phrasing, such as 'investing on' (which should be 'investing in') and 'rural areas' multiple times. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'farmer people' and 'migration action.' To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to economics and social development, and pay closer attention to correct preposition usage with verbs like 'invest.'

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 the flow. Examples include 'As we noticed that nowadays' (incorrect tense/structure), 'Last few years ago' (redundant), and 'less use of technology' (should be 'lack of technology'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like tense consistency and pluralization.

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

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