Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-11

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)

Some say that the most countries around the globe, rural people are shifting to cities, so the population in the countryside is declining. I believe that, on balance, it is negative if the shifting is due to lack of income sources in countryside.

On the one hand, the reason for decreasing citizens in rural areas is due to work and education purpose of young adults is a positive sign, for example, countryside mainly concentrate on agriculture or cattle development, however these are not a good sources for adults who aim for other occupations like engineering, doctor and arts etc., so for this reason shifting to urban areas where the higher education can be achieved is an better option.

On the other hand, rural people are moving to cities due to lack of income even for the people who are dependent on agriculture or animal farming. For instance, if a farmer encounter with heavy floods which damage the crop the only income source for their family, nevertheless to earn the money they end-up going to urban area for some other labor works. So from this example we can say running to cities due to fail in crop is a negative sign, which can lead to decline in population in the countryside.

In conclusion, positive development if an young adults are aiming to learn other skills and built their life for which rural areas are not suitable. However, I believe moving of people due to failure in their primary income source and shifting to earn money is negative development, I think government should manage the losses for people, so that they remain in countryside.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the question and present a qualified position: migration for education and career opportunities can be positive, while migration caused by loss of income is negative. The two body paragraphs give relevant reasons, and the flood-damaged crop example helps explain the second point. However, the response gives more detail to the negative case than to the positive one, and the conclusion’s recommendation that government compensate for losses is introduced briefly rather than developed. To strengthen the response, explain more fully how education-related migration benefits individuals or communities, and clarify why the overall trend is negative despite the benefits you identify. The response contains 263 words, including 9 words copied from the task prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion. The progression from possible benefits to disadvantages is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” make the organisation visible. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and some links do not express the relationship between ideas accurately. For example, “however” joins contrasting points inside the first body paragraph, while “nevertheless” is awkwardly used in the flood example. The conclusion also combines several ideas in a long sentence, making the final position less clear. Use fewer formulaic transitions and connect each claim to its explanation with clearer sentence boundaries and references.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “agriculture,” “higher education,” “income source,” “heavy floods” and “primary income source.” These choices make the main ideas understandable, and you attempt more specific language than basic everyday terms. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “most countries,” “cattle development,” “a good sources,” “encounter with heavy floods” and “labor works.” These errors sometimes make the reader pause, even though the intended meaning is generally recoverable. Aim for more natural combinations and precise forms—for example, refer to “many countries,” “livestock farming,” “a good source,” and “other manual work.” Proofreading for singular/plural forms and word choice would improve control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “if,” “which” and “so that,” and the overall meaning is usually clear. However, control is uneven, particularly in longer sentences, and some errors affect readability. Examples include “the reason … is due to work and education purpose,” “if a farmer encounter,” “an young adults,” and “an better option.” The first body paragraph also contains a sentence joined by several clauses, which makes its structure difficult to follow. Work on subject–verb agreement, articles, singular and plural forms, and building complex sentences around one clear main clause. Breaking long sentences into shorter units will help you show range while keeping grammar more accurate.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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