Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-07

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)

People have different opinions about rural-to-urban migration. While I do feel it is a negative development to an extent, in my view there are many positive aspects of it as well.

Urbanisation is creating an imbalance in a country's population dynamics, which in turn is leading to mismanagement and contributing to many issues such as the rise in criminal activity. Firstly, the massive influx of people from the villages strains the local economy and environment of the city, causing an increase in housing prices, traffic jams, and pollution. People from the countryside, unable to afford the cost of living, even resort to illegal practices like robbery, theft, and fraud. Secondly, it causes agricultural decline, which is dangerous and alarming for countries, especially those that have agriculture as a main source of revenue. Finally, young people leave the countryside for cities, leaving their older family members, such as parents, behind in rural areas. A good example of this would be Japan, where old people die as loners, and their bodies are discovered weeks after their deaths.

Despite all of this, it is factual that the movement from rural areas to cities indeed raises the standard of living, which is indeed a good aspect of rural-to-urban population shift. The cities offer better healthcare facilities; big hospitals in cities provide superior medical treatments than small rural clinics. Since cities are the hubs of industry and merchandising, there are also more employment opportunities, along with higher salaries. For instance, it is recorded that a huge number of families come to Karachi from interior Punjab and Sindh in search of jobs. On top of that, urban areas have advanced schools and universities for children and young adults.

In conclusion, the movement of rural people to cities is a complex trend with both positive and negative effects on society and development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you recognise both sides but regard migration as negative to some extent, while also identifying benefits. The response addresses the question with relevant points, including pressure on city housing and transport, agricultural decline, family separation, healthcare, jobs, and education. Examples such as Karachi and Japan help make the discussion concrete. However, the argument is not fully developed in places: the link between migration and crime is asserted rather than demonstrated, and the Japan example is striking but needs clearer explanation of how it illustrates the wider effects of rural depopulation. The conclusion calls the trend complex but does not clearly restate which side outweighs the other. A more explicit final judgement and fuller explanation of key examples would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay is organised into a clear introduction, a paragraph on disadvantages, a paragraph on advantages, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Finally,” and “Despite all of this” guide the reader through the argument. The contrast between the two main body paragraphs is particularly clear. Some linking is a little mechanical because several points are presented as a list, and the conclusion does not fully connect the discussion back to the writer’s stated position. You could improve flow by showing more explicitly how each example supports the paragraph’s main claim and by using a concluding sentence that weighs the benefits against the costs.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a good range of topic-related vocabulary, including “rural-to-urban migration,” “population dynamics,” “agricultural decline,” “employment opportunities,” and “standard of living.” These choices allow you to discuss social and economic effects with reasonable precision, and the meaning remains clear throughout. There are occasional awkward or imprecise expressions, however. “Die as loners” is not a natural way to describe older people dying alone, while “merchandising” does not fit well when referring to a city’s economic activity. “It is factual” is also an unnatural way to introduce a point. Aim for more idiomatic collocations and avoid intensifiers such as “indeed” when they do not add meaning; this would make the vocabulary more consistently fluent and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You demonstrate a useful variety of sentence forms, including complex clauses: “While I do feel it is a negative development to an extent…” and “People from the countryside, unable to afford the cost of living, even resort…” are examples of controlled structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically sound, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. A few errors or awkward constructions remain. In “old people die as loners,” the issue is primarily word choice, but the sentence would also benefit from a more natural grammatical formulation, such as “older people may die alone.” The phrase “families come to Karachi … in search of jobs” is understandable, though the sentence could be made more precise by specifying that they move there. Continue using complex structures, while checking that each clause expresses the intended relationship clearly.

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