Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

People are now moving from villages to cities all around the globe. Availability of facilities has always been the reason for rural people to move to cities. As there is increase in this migration, the countryside population is decreasing which would ultimately result in several merits and demerits.

With decrease in countryside population, there would be a notable damage to certain buisnesses like farming and livestock. However, decrease in rural population has no advantage to countryside.

With the increase in cities population, there would be increase in competition for several basic needs like shelter and clean water. Along with this, there would also be rise in pollution. For example, while living in cities, more people would travel via smoke emitting vehicles that would ultimately result in more air pollution. However, merits include better living standard. For example, more job opportunities, availabiltiy of healthcare centers and schools as well as access to clean water.

In my opinion, there is more serious disadvantages for both rural and urban people, if rural people moves to cities. People living in countryside should visit cities more often to grab these facilities. However, they should not move permanently to cities as it negatively affect both urban and rural areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the question and give a clear overall view in the final paragraph: you consider the movement mainly negative for both rural and urban communities. Relevant effects include damage to farming and livestock, pressure on shelter and clean water, and increased pollution, while you also acknowledge benefits such as jobs and healthcare. However, the position is not fully clear at first: the introduction says migration will bring “merits and demerits,” and the body presents advantages without explaining how they compare with the disadvantages. Several points are asserted rather than developed, and the suggestion that rural residents should visit cities is not explained as a practical response. The response is also 47 words below the required minimum, limiting the space available to support your ideas. Develop fewer points with specific explanations or examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, discussion of rural and urban effects, and a concluding opinion. Linking expressions such as “However,” “Along with this,” and “For example” help show relationships between ideas. Nevertheless, progression is somewhat mechanical, and the central argument is not consistently signposted: the introduction promises both merits and demerits, while the conclusion takes a negative position without clearly weighing the benefits discussed. The second paragraph is very brief, and the next paragraph combines urban pressures, pollution, and benefits in one block, making the comparison harder to follow. Use separate paragraphs for the main disadvantages and counterargument, then connect them explicitly to your position. Clearer referencing and transitions would also help the reader see how each point supports your conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “rural population,” “farming and livestock,” “competition,” “air pollution,” and “job opportunities.” These choices make the main subject clear, and some phrases, such as “smoke emitting vehicles,” show an attempt to be specific. However, several expressions are repetitive or imprecise, including repeated uses of “increase” and “there would be,” and some collocations are unnatural, such as “a notable damage” and “more serious disadvantages.” Spelling errors in “buisnesses” and “availabiltiy” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise alternatives and check spelling carefully; varying expressions for population growth and pressure would make the argument more fluent and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional structure in “if rural people moves to cities” and a relative clause in “which would ultimately result in several merits and demerits.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but errors recur in agreement, articles, and verb forms. For example, “there is increase” needs an article, “people moves” should use a plural verb, and “it negatively affect” needs a correctly inflected verb. The sentence beginning “With the increase in cities population” also has a faulty possessive construction. Some sentences rely on repeated “there would be” patterns, so the range remains limited. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and article use, and vary sentence structures while keeping them controlled.

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