Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-11
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 true people are leaving rural areas and migrating to cities. As a result, countryside growth decreased over the time while, these trends introduce many beneficial aspects but I believe it has created many negative consequences for society as a whole.
People are moving to urban areas which creates overpopulation and air pollution. Cities are becoming more crowded and access to facilities has decreased. Thus, countryside population experienced a decline and cities side faced many difficulties such as growth of pollution due to increasing the number of automobiles moreover, competition about employment becomes harder. For instance, in Karachi, the population has grown so rapidly that traffic jams are common and air pollution has reached dangerous level in winter also competition for jobs is so intense that even urban areas graduates struggle to find work due to overcrowded and competitive environment.
Additionally, agriculture suffers more in countryside when young people leave villages. It increased the impact of food shortage and agricultural import with other counties faced many issues. Consequently, people experienced many challenges, the population and economy in agricultural regions moved towards decreasing. To illustrate an example, young people are moving to urban areas however, old people in rural areas working in farm to harvest crops and other ingredients meanwhile, they are not healthy and fit as compared to adult. Therefore, agriculture and population are suffers.
In conclusion, moving to urban areas provides people varieties of opportunities but I believe it introduced a many problem such as overpopulation, agricultural effects and pollution which is not good for society and environment .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the migration is a negative development. The ideas are relevant, focusing on urban overpopulation and the decline of rural agriculture. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the argument regarding agricultural decline is repetitive and lacks specific, well-explained evidence beyond the mention of elderly farmers. While the position is consistent throughout, the supporting points could be more thoroughly explored to reach a higher band. The essay covers all parts of the task, but the depth of analysis is inconsistent, leading to a balanced but slightly underdeveloped argument.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Additionally', 'Consequently', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'cities side faced many difficulties' or 'meanwhile, they are not healthy'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences within paragraphs is sometimes choppy. While the overall progression is logical, the use of cohesive devices is not always smooth or flexible, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band for cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'overpopulation', 'agricultural import', and 'competitive environment'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'cities side faced', 'growth of pollution', and 'ingredients' (when referring to crops). Some phrasing is repetitive, and the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited. While the meaning is always clear, the lack of precision and the reliance on simpler structures restrict the score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'countryside growth decreased over the time', 'competition about employment', and 'agriculture and population are suffers'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing articles. While the student attempts complex structures, the control over these is not consistent, leading to errors in subject-verb agreement and word form. The errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, which is characteristic of the 5.5 to 6.0 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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