Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-12

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 6.5)

In many nations around the world, more people are moving to cities resulting in the reduction of population in countryside. This change has both positive and negative developments. From my standpoint, it has positive impacts for that particular country as cities facilitate the people with better options to live a life.

On one hand, millions of people are shifting to urban areas for bright future. In villages, lack of hospitals, education and basic necessities force the people to migrate towards big towns. In cities, there are lot of opportunities for education, career, shopping and clean environment. Similarly, Moving to urban areas, increases the literacy rate of a state as people are more inclined towrads the education in cities. Moreover, the businesses grow by growing population in cities and it lead to economical growth of a country. For instance, my family migrated from village 16 years ago and today, me and my siblings are well-educated and working in various firms and living a better life.

On the other side, it includes some drawbacks as reduction in the population of countryside causes low agricultural rate and also the destruction of natural beauty of the villages. Therefore, urbanization is a double-edged sword as it facilitate the people and causes other impacts on society at the same time.

Keeping in mind all these points, it is clear that the benefits of moving to cities outweigh the demerits as urbaniztation grooms the mentality of people and they have exposure to jobs, hospitals and schools in big cities. Therefore, I believe that this phenomenon ought to be encouraged in all nations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your response addresses both sides of the question and gives a clear overall view: you acknowledge drawbacks but conclude that the benefits of moving to cities outweigh them. The reasons are relevant, particularly improved access to hospitals and education, and your family’s migration provides a personal example that supports your position. The discussion is extended enough to explain why urban opportunities can benefit individuals and the economy. However, the negative side is less developed: reduced agricultural output and loss of village beauty are mentioned but not explained with examples or consequences. To strengthen the response further, develop this counterargument and make the comparison between the benefits and costs more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction states your position, two body sections present contrasting effects, and the conclusion restates your view. Paragraphing helps the reader follow the argument, and signposts such as “On one hand,” “On the other side,” and “Keeping in mind all these points” make the structure visible. The personal example also fits naturally within the discussion of urban opportunities. Some linking is a little mechanical, and the second body paragraph is brief compared with the first, so the contrast is not fully balanced. There is also a slightly unclear connection in “Therefore, urbanization is a double-edged sword,” which could be linked more directly to the specific drawbacks just mentioned. Use transitions more selectively and develop each paragraph’s central point.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “migrate,” “literacy rate,” “agricultural rate,” “urbanization,” and “double-edged sword.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and the meaning remains clear despite some inaccurate or unnatural expressions. For example, “facilitate the people with better options” and “bright future” are not natural collocations in this context; “urbaniztation” is also misspelled, and “economical growth” is less suitable than the standard phrase for a country’s development. Some wording is repetitive, particularly references to cities and opportunities. Aim for more precise collocations and check spelling and word forms, while retaining the relevant topic vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “as” and “as people are more inclined,” and most of the argument is understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, but they rarely prevent the reader from following your meaning. For example, “there are lot of opportunities” is missing an article, while “Moving to urban areas, increases the literacy rate” has an unnecessary comma and an awkward sentence structure. In “the businesses grow by growing population in cities and it lead,” the subject–verb agreement and reference are unclear. Review articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, and make sure each pronoun clearly refers to its intended noun. More accurate control of these patterns would make your complex sentences easier to read.

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