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)
Migration plays a crucial role across all globe . In this regards , most of the countries around the world , villagers are moving to urban areas , so the population of countryside is decreasing . I think it is a positive approach . However , there are some negative effects , both will outlined in upcoming paragraphs with logical conclusion .
To commence with , there are several reasons due to which rural people are migrating to cities . The first and foremost is that people are migrating to cities for good level of education . To explain it more , students who wants to become doctor , engineer and lawyer , they go to cities for good education . Furthermore , villagers are moving to urban areas for good employment and income . People can earn more money in less time in cities and they can get good services from company and promotion also . Moreover, villagers moved to cities for good standard of living because they want to enjoy their life by watching movies in cinema and shopping in malls etc .
Besides this , there are some drawbacks of this notion also . The prime one is that there will be rush in cities and it is also difficult for government to give same facilities to migrated people .. they disturbed whole cities'population and rules . Secondly , in villages , the survival of shopkeepers and farmers become difficult due to migration . Moreover , it is good for robbers also to do robbery in houses which are kept empty . Another reason is that land will become less fertile and it will by domestic animals also .
In conclusion , although there are various benefits by migrationg to cities from villages such as good education and employment. However , empty lands , survival of shopkeepers and farmers cannot be overlooked .
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 the migration from rural to urban areas and providing a position. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention reasons for migration (education, employment, lifestyle), the explanations are somewhat superficial. The discussion of negative effects is also underdeveloped; for example, the point about 'robbers' and 'domestic animals' lacks logical clarity and relevance to the broader socio-economic impact. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed, analytical explanations for your arguments rather than listing several points briefly. Your position is clear, but the supporting evidence needs more depth and academic focus.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'In this regards' or 'both will outlined'. Additionally, the progression of ideas within paragraphs is occasionally disjointed, particularly in the third paragraph where the transition between the impact on government services and the impact on local farmers is abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good' (e.g., 'good level of education', 'good employment', 'good standard of living'). There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'across all globe' (should be 'across the globe') and 'migrationg' (spelling error). To improve, try to use more sophisticated synonyms and collocations that are specific to the topic of urbanization and migration, and ensure you are using words in their correct grammatical form.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('students who wants to become'), missing articles ('in cities' vs 'in the cities'), and awkward phrasing ('they disturbed whole cities'population'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas and periods. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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