Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-05

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)

There is a increase in migration of people from the rural areas to the cities in many countries of the world.Due to which amount of people living in the countryside are decreasing which is a concerning situation beacuse there is a decrease in number of agriculture.Peoples are migrating for for there better future and there are less number of facilities in the farmland areas.

In the countryside there is less necessary facilities for the population living there and to secure better future they are moving to the big cities where they have more exposure of work and better avalibility of everyday amenities.

For example: Person living in rural area if he wan't to study for Engineering he doesnot have any university in this area for which he has to go to any metropolitan city for his education.

If this number of migration continues this can also lead to the shortage of food as well beacuse people of farmlands are mostly farmers if they move to the cities it automatically cause shortage of food as well as large are of agriculture land are being wasted as well.

For example:There are 4 people living in rural area and all of them are farmers if two of them migrated then the production of agriculture is also cut by 50 percent.

According to my thinking it is negative development it can cause long term damage to the country so goverment has to give all the necessary facilities to the people living in those areas so that they donot move to the cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position that the migration from rural areas to cities is a negative development, particularly due to the threat to agriculture. The ideas are relevant and generally easy to follow, successfully reaching the half-band level by showing elements of both lower and higher performance. However, some ideas remain under-developed. For instance, the point regarding the lack of educational facilities is illustrated simply with an engineering example that lacks deeper elaboration. Similarly, the agricultural impact is supported by a basic numerical example rather than broader socio-economic analysis. To reach the next level, the student needs to fully develop all main ideas with more extended explanations and richer real-world examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance stated towards the end. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction, body points, and conclusion, providing a basic framework for the ideas. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. The use of transitional devices is limited, and sentences are often linked awkwardly, such as starting multiple sentences with 'Due to which' or 'If'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'for there better future' where pronoun and directional links lack precision. Progression throughout the response is sometimes disjointed rather than naturally flowing. To improve, the writer should employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices and ensure smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic concepts about urban migration and farming. However, the range is limited and the text contains noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word formation that cause some difficulty for the reader. Examples include spelling mistakes like 'beacuse' and 'goverment', incorrect word forms like 'Peoples' and 'avalibility', and awkward phrasing such as 'large are of agriculture land'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'metropolitan city' and 'exposure of work', but these attempts are accompanied by inaccuracies. To achieve a higher score, the student must expand their lexical repertoire, improve spelling accuracy, and focus on natural collocations and precise word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a limited range of structures, relying heavily on basic sentence forms alongside attempts at complex sentences that are frequently faulty. There are recurrent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'amount of people... are decreasing', 'there is less necessary facilities'), article usage, and punctuation. For example, sentences often run together without proper punctuation or contain fragments like 'Due to which amount of people living in the countryside are decreasing which is a concerning situation'. While the meaning remains mostly retrievable, these frequent errors require the reader to occasionally pause. To progress, the student needs to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence patterns with improved accuracy and better control over basic grammatical rules.

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