Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-02

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)

It is an undeniable fact that people nowadays opt to start out in a metropolis. This phenomenon is a result of numerous differences in various aspects between rural and urban areas. However, the rural to urban migration is presenting a range of hazardous drawbacks that cannot be ignored. These negative sides are: labor market disruption, social inequalities, and environmental degradation.

First of all, the population shift from rural to urban areas often leads to labor market disruption, notably manifesting in the form of unemployment and underemployment. As rural inhabitants migrate to urban centres in pursuit of work, the influx of laborers surpasses the requirement of workforce, resulting in an increase in unemployment rates. Furthermore, a significant number of migrants find themselves in situations of underemployment, where they take on low-paying jobs that fail to utilize their skills and qualifications. This imbalance in the labor market not only hampers individuals' economic growth but also burdens the overall productivity and stability of urban areas.

The second drawback of urbanization is social inequality. Rural migrants are more likely to experience discrimination than those who initially live in cities. Individuals' migrating from rural areas may encounter various forms of discrimination in many aspects of life, such as employment opportunities or limited access to social services. It is also a challenge for them to integrate into urban communities because of barriers to education, healthcare, and social support networks. Moreover, urbanization fosters a profound disparity between urban and rural regions. The movement of citizens from their homeland to metropolitan cities has resulted in a severe shortage of labor in rural areas, consequently leading to their underdeveloped economic status in contrast to urban locales.

Finally, rural to urban migration contributes to environmental degradation in various forms. The expansion of urban areas increases pollution levels, affecting air and water quality and leading to greater energy usage. The concentration of industries, vehicles, and human activities in urban areas leads to the emission of pollutants, which degrade air quality and poses health risks to residents. Additionally, the demand for housing and infrastructure in urban areas leads to deforestation and land degradation. As cities expand, natural habitats are destroyed to make space for buildings, roads, and other infrastructure projects.

In conclusion, the movement of rural workers to cities to yielding serious problems for society, notably in terms of labor market disruption, the exacerbation of social disparities, and environmental degradation. The movement of individuals to urban centers in pursuit of improved employment prospects is justifiable. However, proactive measures must be implemented to mitigate the risk of overpopulation in metropolitan cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by taking a clear position that the rural-to-urban migration is a negative development driven by hazardous drawbacks. The essay presents relevant main ideas, including labor market disruption, social inequalities, and environmental degradation, which align with a solid Band 6 performance and cross into Band 7 by extending and supporting these points with specific explanations. For instance, the discussion on environmental degradation details the expansion of urban areas, pollution, and deforestation. However, the position is slightly hindered by a minor nuance in the conclusion, where the writer acknowledges that individuals' movement is justifiable before reiterating the negative impacts, showing a slight tension in the overall stance. To reach the next level fully, the ideas could be maintained with an even more rigorous consistency in argument throughout the introduction and conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation throughout, starting with a well-defined introduction that outlines the three main drawbacks. Paragraphing is used effectively, with each body paragraph dedicated to a distinct negative consequence. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, such as 'First of all', 'The second drawback', and 'Finally'. However, referencing and cohesive tying occasionally feel slightly mechanical rather than entirely seamless, typical of a performance bridging these bands. For instance, the transition between sentences within the social inequality paragraph could flow more naturally. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to ensure that referencing is always precise and that cohesive devices are woven into the text with greater subtlety, avoiding formulaic signposting.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The writer demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, successfully utilizing less common items and academic collocations such as 'environmental degradation', 'labor market disruption', 'underemployment', and 'natural habitats'. There is a good awareness of style appropriate for an academic essay. However, there are occasional minor inaccuracies in word choice and word formation, such as the phrase 'to yielding serious problems' in the conclusion instead of 'yielding' or 'lead to yielding'. Spelling and word choice are generally strong enough that communication is never impeded. To push into higher bands, the writer should aim for a wider range of sophisticated, less common lexical items paired with flawless collocation and word form control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures alongside simple sentence forms, featuring frequent error-free sentences that showcase control over grammar and punctuation. Complex constructions are used effectively, as seen in clauses like 'As rural inhabitants migrate to urban centres in pursuit of work, the influx of laborers surpasses the requirement of workforce'. Good control of verb tenses and agreement is maintained throughout. Nevertheless, a few minor persistent errors do occur, such as the gerund phrase 'Individuals' migrating from rural areas' where a possessive noun case is misused. Punctuation and article choices are generally accurate. To attain a higher band, the writer should increase the proportion of entirely error-free complex sentences and eliminate minor slips in syntactic patterns.

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