Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-06

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 6.0)

In many nations of the globe, rural-to-urban migration is increasing resulting in the decline in population residing in the countryside. I believe it is totally a negative development. In the upcoming subdivisions, I have supported my stand with appropriate justifications.

Firstly, owing to the excessive migration to the cities, a severe shortage of skilled workers required for farming is faced by many nations. This is of paramount importance as the decreasing workers for farming leads to less production of food items resulting in less supply of food to the country. If the supply of food would be less, more number of people would face starvation hampering their overall development and also resulting in deaths caused due to it. For example, the severe migration of skilled workers across many regions has led to increased deaths due to starvation. If this problem is not mitigated by governments timely, then it would become more harmful for human kind.

Secondly, the over urbanization has led to emergence of numerous problems like increased pollution resulting in declined public health. Because of the increased number of vehicles on road, griidlock during peak hours and carbon emission by cars, a rise in air pollution is noted. Air pollution being one of the key reasons for respiratory disease like asthma and lung diseases, an unprecedented amount of people are getting prone to such diseases resultingworsening of public health. For instance, rural-to-urban migration in many metropolitan cities like Surat has led to an increase in deaths by asthma. If not mitigated effectively, it would serve as one of the major reasons of deaths.

To conclude, migration has not only led to decrease in food production but has aslo caused a spike in deaths due to respiratory and lung diseases becomig one of the major threat to human kind.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by clearly stating a position on the rural-to-urban migration trend, arguing that it is entirely a negative development. The ideas presented are generally relevant, such as the shortage of agricultural workers leading to food scarcity and the rising urban pollution impacting public health. However, some parts of the task show a tendency to be under-developed, particularly when discussing the consequences of starvation and diseases without robust empirical backing or deeper analysis. To reach a higher band, the student needs to extend and support all main arguments with more thorough explanations and fully realized examples rather than relying on generalized assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance introduced in the opening paragraph and distinct body paragraphs dedicated to different negative impacts. Information and ideas are logically sequenced using transitional markers such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude'. However, the cohesion sometimes feels slightly mechanical, and referencing occasionally lacks precision, as seen in repetitive phrasing like 'resulting in' and 'if not mitigated effectively'. Paragraphing is utilized appropriately, but smoother inter-sentence transitions and a more varied use of cohesive devices would elevate the organizational quality to fully satisfy the next level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'paramount importance', 'over urbanization', and 'unprecedented amount'. However, there are noticeable instances of awkward word choice, typos, and minor collocation slips, such as 'griidlock' and 'resultingworsening', which occasionally impede smooth reading. Furthermore, reliance on repetitive phrases like 'major reason of deaths' limits lexical flexibility. To achieve a higher score, the student should incorporate a wider variety of precise phrasing and ensure correct word forms and spelling throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and conditional structures like 'If the supply of food would be less...'. However, there are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles (e.g., 'on road'), awkward verb tenses, and preposition misuse within grammatical patterns. While these errors rarely impede overall communication, they persist throughout the text. To move up to a higher band, the student must produce a greater frequency of error-free complex sentences and demonstrate better control over punctuation and article usage.

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