Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-10

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)

It is undeniable that migration to urban cities for better jobs plays an important role in this modern economy. In this regard, in many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing which leads to overpopulation in cities. This essay will not only both the views but also my opinion on this statement in forthcoming fragments with a logical conclusion.

To commence with, urban migration offer several benefits. The prime one is that, cities often provide better job opportunities. To explain it, people migrate to cities get job according to their qualification and experience, also get better salary. Secondly, they also provide better educational institutions and advanced healthcare facilities. For individuals coming from rural areas, this move can improve the living standard of rural people and access to amenities that are not available in countryside. Additionally, cities tends to be more developed as it provide employment level and also encourage local talent to come to city side for betterment of their future.

Nevertheless, decreasing population in rural area had a adverse affects on the development. First and foremost, one significant issue is the decline of agricultural activities. Many rural people rely heavily on farming, and when people move away, it reduces the workforce available to maintain these essential services. This reduction could also lead to food shortages and negatively impact the economy. Moreover, the migration may result in the neglect of rural communities, leading to a decline in public services like schools and hospitals, which further discourages people from living in these areas.

To conclude, there are several disadvantages of moving to cities such as declining of agricultural activities because of reduction in labour, creates lots of destruction activities in urban areas due to overpopulation, yet according to my point of view migration to cities had more pros as it provide job opportunities and improve their living standards so the population in the countryside is decreasing.

AI examiner evaluation

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. You clearly state your position in the conclusion, although the introduction is slightly confusing, as it mentions 'both the views' when the prompt asks for your opinion on whether it is a positive or negative development. The ideas are relevant, such as job opportunities and agricultural decline, but they could be developed further with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and slightly contradicts the earlier structure by introducing new points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use basic cohesive devices like 'To commence with', 'Secondly', and 'Nevertheless' to signal transitions. However, the flow is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, such as the promise in the introduction to discuss 'forthcoming fragments', which is not standard academic English. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and some sentences feel disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph flows smoothly into the next would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban migration', 'agricultural activities', and 'essential services'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'destruction activities' (likely meaning 'disruptive effects') and 'come to city side'. Some phrases are repetitive, and the vocabulary lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more academic synonyms for common words to express your ideas more naturally and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'cities tends to be', 'migration... had a adverse affects') and article usage. Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are clunky or grammatically incomplete. The errors do not usually impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and tense consistency will significantly improve your accuracy.

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