Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-01

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 6.5)

In many countries, an increasing number of people are relocating from rural to urban areas, resulting in a decline in the countryside population. I believe this is a positive development because urban migration help them to better employment and educational opportunities, although it can also create certain problems such as overcrowding and preasure on public services.

On the one hand, rural-to-urban movement can have several advantages on individuals and their families. Cities generally offer them a wider range of employment options in industries, businesses, technology and other sectors. As a result, people may earn higher income, improve their living standards, and gain access to better educational institutes and healthcare centers. For example, a farmer who move to a city may obtain stable job in a factory or private company, allowing them to earn a regular income and provide better education for their children. I agree with this aspect of urban migration because it improved career , education and living standards which can significantly enhance people's quality of life.

On the other hand, the large-scale movement of people to cities can create several social as well as environmental problems. A rapid increase in the urban population can lead to overcrowding, traffic congestion, housing storage and greater preasure on public services. Furthermore, when young worker leave rural communities, the agricultural sector suffer from shortage of labour, potentially reduce food production and weakening rural economies. For instance, rapidly expansion of cities often experience severe traffic congestion and overcrowded public transport because infrastructure cannot keep pace with population growth. However, I do not agree because these are not sufficient problems to hinder rural-urban migration because governments can address them through effective urban planning.

In conclusion, rural-to-urban migration is postive development overall. Although it can cause overcrowding, preasure on infrastructure and labour shortage, it provide better employment, education, living and healthcare facilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position on the topic and supporting it with relevant arguments. The writer establishes a stance in the introduction that rural-to-urban migration is a positive development, acknowledging both the advantages and disadvantages. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. For instance, the benefits regarding employment and educational opportunities are well-supported with a clear example of a farmer moving to the city. Conversely, the counter-arguments and the rebuttal concerning government intervention in urban planning are slightly repetitive and less thoroughly extended. To reach the next level, all main ideas should be equally well-developed with deeper analysis, avoiding any slight generalizations when discussing complex socioeconomic issues.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression of ideas throughout the text. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are generally used effectively to guide the reader, such as transitional markers like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. Nevertheless, cohesion is sometimes a bit mechanical or faulty. For example, referencing and logical transitions between sentences within the second body paragraph could be smoother, and some cohesive ties feel slightly repetitive. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices while ensuring referencing is consistently precise and unobtrusive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'relocating', 'infrastructure', and 'socioeconomic' contexts. There is a sufficient grasp of common lexical items, but the vocabulary is occasionally hindered by word choice, collocation, and spelling errors. For instance, phrases like 'urban migration help them' contain errors in subject-verb agreement or word form, and words like 'preasure', 'storage' (instead of shortage), 'worker', 'suffer', 'reduce', 'rapidly expansion', and 'postive' reflect noticeable spelling and word form inaccuracies. These errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the argument easily. To move to a higher band, the writer must incorporate a wider, more flexible range of vocabulary with greater precision, minimizing spelling and word choice slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct compound and complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions and clauses. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as article omissions, pluralization mistakes, and verb form inaccuracies, including 'a farmer who move' (subject-verb agreement), 'allowing them to earn' (pronoun reference consistency), and missing articles before singular countable nouns. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the core message to remain clear throughout the text. To attain a higher band, the writer needs to produce a greater proportion of error-free sentences while showcasing a wider variety of complex grammatical structures used with consistent accuracy.

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