Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-19

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 7.0)

In many countries around the world, rural residents are moving to cities resulting in a decrease in countryside population. The public has conflicting views on this phenomenon which is gaining popularity in the recent years.

One might argue this impromptu migration of people could worsen the prevailing issue of overcrowding in the cities and also hike the prices of essential resources, making cities ever increasingly expensive. Moreover, rural people coming to cities are often ill-prepared and lack awareness about the threats in big cities, making them liable to scams and fraud. Furthermore, there is a void of assistance as they find themselves in an unfamiliar environment. Consequently, they often wind up in exploitative below minimum wage jobs for sustenance.

On the other hand, the countryside losses young talent required for its development and in turn the country youth instead compete in an intense alien workspace that requires significant adaptation from picking up a different dialect to understanding the culture. These youth may also face discrimination as native city people view them as different from their own. However, the root of this population shift lies in the search for better opportunities and education. Rural schools and workspaces are severely underdeveloped when compared to cities, this creates a great developmental as well as socio-economic inequality between different regions of the same state. Ideally, the government ought to implement schemes for providing better facilities and encouraging innovation in rural areas as well as identification programmes to grow industries suited to a particular area.

In conclusion, on the surface rural migration to cities may come across as an increased competition in the job market or simply the allure of city life. However, there lie deeper issues of equal resource and opportunity distribution to be addressed to mitigate the negative effect of population shifts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses the prompt effectively by discussing both the negative and positive implications of rural migration to cities, establishing a clear stance. In the body paragraphs, you explore multiple angles, such as urban overcrowding, the vulnerability of migrants to scams, and the economic drain on rural areas. You also introduce a thoughtful counter-perspective focusing on regional inequality and government intervention. However, while your arguments are relevant and well-considered, some points could be extended further with more specific examples rather than broad generalisations. For instance, mentioning specific types of infrastructure deficits in rural regions would strengthen your support. Nonetheless, you cover all parts of the task appropriately, satisfying the requirements for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

Your essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The introduction successfully outlines the topic, and the body paragraphs transition reasonably well from urban problems to rural consequences and potential solutions. You make use of various cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'Consequently' to connect ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to divide your central themes, separating the negative effects on cities from the developmental issues in the countryside. The overall progression is easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 7.0 score for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, successfully employing less common items such as 'impromptu migration', 'exploitative', 'socio-economic inequality', and 'allure'. There are minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'countryside losses young talent' (where 'losses' should be the verb 'loses') and 'void of assistance' (where 'lack of assistance' or 'vacuum' might be more idiomatic). Despite these occasional slips, your lexical control is adequate to convey complex ideas clearly and allows for a comfortable reading experience, aligning well with the Band 7.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You exhibit a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as participial phrases ('resulting in a decrease') and conditional or relative clauses. There are frequent error-free sentences, demonstrating good overall control of grammar and punctuation. However, a few errors persist, such as the aforementioned typo ('countryside losses') and occasional minor punctuation slips or awkward phrasings like 'in the recent years' (instead of 'in recent years'). These errors are non-systematic and do not impede communication at all. The grammatical range and accuracy comfortably secure a Band 7.0 score.

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