Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

As far as this topic is concerned, I would like to say that the impact of moving of people from rural areas to urban areas in different countries has always been debatable and has now become more controversial with many people claiming that it is beneficial while others reject this notion. The substantial influence of this trend has sparked the controversy over the potential impact in the recent years. From my perspective, the former proposition appears to be more rational. This essay will further elaborate my views for favoring the positive or negative impact of this trend and thus will lead to a logical conclusion.

Analyzing the statement further, the primary reason behind this is that this issue is due to mass illiteracy, ignorance and non-availability of basic necessities of life. Categorically discussing, it cannot be ignored that the main reason behind this is that especially in rural areas there are no basic faslities like in the secter of health, business and law enforcement departments.

Moving further, it is a positive development because everyone deserves good education facilities and life style. Many people move to urban areas in the hope of enjoying a higher standard of living and greater access to modern amenities.

In conclusion, rural areas have always been left behind because of poor facilities and lack of basic necessities due to which people started moving towards cities. I would say that it has a positive influence because everyone deserves better opportunities, income, medicare and lifestyle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

Your position is ultimately clear: you consider rural-to-urban migration positive because it can give people better opportunities and access to services. You also identify limited facilities in rural areas as a reason for moving. However, the response addresses the question only partially: the central claim that this is positive is asserted rather than explained in depth, and there is no specific example or discussion of consequences for rural communities. The opening also promises to discuss “the positive or negative impact,” which does not clearly establish your actual position. The response is three words below the required minimum. Develop two relevant reasons with explanation and an example, and state your position directly from the introduction.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, supporting paragraphs and a conclusion, and the final paragraph returns to your view. Some progression is present: you mention rural shortages before explaining why people seek a better lifestyle in cities. However, the first body paragraph repeats the idea that the issue is caused by poor facilities, while the next paragraph introduces the main positive argument without developing it. Phrases such as “Analyzing the statement further,” “Categorically discussing,” and “Moving further” sound mechanical and do not clarify the relationship between ideas. Improve the progression by giving each body paragraph one distinct reason, then use clear links to show how each reason supports your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “basic necessities,” “standard of living,” “modern amenities,” and “opportunities.” These expressions help communicate the general issue, and your meaning is usually understandable. However, some wording is unnatural or imprecise, such as “the impact of moving of people,” “the sector of health,” and “medicare” when referring broadly to healthcare. There are also spelling errors, including “faslities” and “secter,” which reduce accuracy. Several formal phrases in the introduction, such as “the former proposition,” are unnecessarily vague. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling; for example, name specific services such as healthcare, education and employment rather than relying on broad or awkward expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “Many people move to urban areas in the hope of enjoying a higher standard of living” and a reason clause in the conclusion. Most sentences remain understandable, and grammatical errors rarely prevent the reader from following your main point. Some sentence structures are awkward or incomplete in their construction, however. For example, “the main reason behind this is that this issue is due to…” repeats the same grammatical idea, while “the impact of moving of people” uses an unclear noun pattern. The long opening sentence also makes the position difficult to follow. Use more direct sentence structures, vary sentence length, and check that clauses connect clearly; this will make your existing range more controlled.

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