Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-07
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 these days, population is escalating in cities because countryside individuals are moving to cities and they do not prefer to stay in rural area. I think it is negative development and I will elaborate it in next paragraphs.
To begun with, nowadays, individuals who are living in rural area they prefer to moving in cities because they thinks there are alot of amenities available but it put negative effect on people who already live there like they will face unemployment and population will increase there so more people do not get jobs.Moreover, The main problem is pollution like it more people live there so more transport will use which leads to pollution and not ideal for environment. Furthermore, people will not connect with their culture and tradition because they prefer to adapt western culture.For example, last year in India survey was conducted where people like to moving in cities just to adapt cities culture.
On the other hand, if rural people move to cities so it will fruitful for their future because they can get better lifestyle because their are more facilities available as compared to rural areas as well as their children can study in good school due to this, they can bright their future and also learn moral values.
To conclude, although there are some positive points but negative points are more so people should think about that. It is advisable to say that, individuals can settle in cities but in limit so they can not face any problem.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the trend is negative. However, the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you provide reasons for the negative impact (unemployment, pollution, loss of culture), the arguments are somewhat superficial and lack depth. Furthermore, the third paragraph introduces a counter-argument that contradicts your initial stance, which creates confusion regarding your overall position. To improve, ensure that each paragraph focuses on extending your main argument with more detailed explanations and concrete examples, rather than listing multiple points briefly. The conclusion is also quite vague and does not effectively summarise the main points discussed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'To begun with' is grammatically incorrect, and the transition 'Moreover' is used to introduce a point that is not clearly linked to the previous one. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'they will face unemployment and population will increase there', where 'there' is ambiguous. The progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed, particularly when moving between the negative impacts and the counter-argument in the third paragraph. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring clear pronoun references would improve the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'bad', and 'people'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'bright their future' (should be 'brighten' or 'ensure a bright future') and 'in limit' (should be 'in moderation' or 'limited numbers'). Some phrases are repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'cities' and 'rural area'. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to urbanisation, migration, and socio-economic impacts, and focus on using words in their correct collocations.
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 ('individuals... they thinks'), incorrect verb forms ('prefer to moving'), and missing articles ('in cities', 'in rural area'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction, specifically ensuring correct verb tenses and preposition usage, will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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