Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-08

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 countries around the world, people from rural areas are relocating to cities and the number of people in the countryside is decreasing. I believe this is a negative development because this can decrease agricultural products and can over populate cities.

On the one hand, mostly rural people are the producers of agricultural products. People from rural areas are responsible for maintaining food secuirty. This means when theey relocate to cities the agricultural activities which were done will be declined which can result in food scarcity. So this can have negative impact on the country as they are backbone of the people by providing agricultural products.

On the other hand, relocation of rural people to cities can cause over popuation. Nowadays, more people are living in cities and addition of people from rural areas can make things worse. In addition to this there will be more demand for housing which can result in shortage of houses and the cost of the rent can also increase. This can affect the livability of cities.

In conclusion, relocation of individuals from rural area to cities is a negative development because it affect the food security and can also affect the livability of cities.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction to the conclusion: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative, mainly because it may reduce food production and increase pressure on city housing. Both reasons are relevant, and you explain a possible consequence for each, such as food scarcity and rising rents. However, the two points are only briefly developed; for example, the claim that rural residents are responsible for food security would be stronger with a specific example or explanation of how migration affects farm output. The response also contains 201 words, below the required 250, so the discussion lacks the space needed to develop its ideas fully. Add a concrete example and explain the effects in more depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present separate reasons, and the conclusion restates your position. Signposting with “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” makes the progression easy to follow. This coherent arrangement is a strength. Some connections, however, feel mechanical, and the first body paragraph repeats the link between rural migration and declining agricultural activity without extending it much. The reference in “they are backbone of the people” is also unclear. To strengthen cohesion, use more precise referencing and connect each consequence explicitly to the main claim, while developing the paragraphs with an example or further explanation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “agricultural products,” “food security,” “food scarcity,” “housing,” and “livability,” so the main ideas are understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “relocating” and “negative development.” However, the range is somewhat repetitive, particularly with “rural people,” “cities,” and “can affect,” and several word-choice or spelling errors reduce precision: “over populate,” “over popuation,” and “secuirty.” Some combinations are awkward, such as “they are backbone of the people.” Aim for more accurate collocations and varied terms, for example “rural residents,” “urban areas,” and “place pressure on housing.” Proofreading spelling would also improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a reason clause in “I believe this is a negative development because…” and a result clause in “which can result in food scarcity.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and the overall argument remains easy to follow. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In “this can have negative impact,” the article is missing; “relocation … is a negative development because it affect” has subject–verb disagreement; and “when they relocate … the agricultural activities … will be declined” has an awkward passive construction. The sentence “So this can have negative impact…” also begins informally. Review articles, agreement, and verb patterns, and vary sentence structures while keeping them controlled.

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