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)

With the changing world,folks have started focusing on changing their lifestyle too.Around the globe, a lot of villagers have started moving towards cities.With this migration a drastic change is happening in the population of village life which may affect later on due to decreasing agricultural trend in people.

Speaking of this shifting, it can widely effect the world because this would distrub the balance of human ecosytem.With immense number of people in urban areas, there will be shortage of job oppertunities, medical facilities and many other factors including less availability of local transport, educational factors and above all enviornment will be highly affected.Urban areas will be flooded with folks coming from different areas of different languages and cultures which may cause disturbance for the peace of a society.

On the other hand, rural areas will turn into barren lands when there will be less people for aggregation, poultry and dairy animals.This will change the equilibrium for a normal healthy lifestyle. Countrysides not only run the food chain but also help in controlling global warming and enviornmental issues.People run towards the city life for ease and better opportunities but leave behind a pure life which is free from any kind of pollution.Serenity of village is from it's folks and when they abandon their place they abandon the gifts of nature.

Let me explain that with my personal experience, I moved to city for my career but city life has cursed me with health issues and making me a self centered person.

Last but not least, there are good factors in both urban and rural areas if the lifestyle is well managed. Farmers are backbone of any country and city life turn their hardwork into economy. For any developing state, both communities should be well balanced so that people find their ease in their own respective areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You take a broadly negative view of rural-to-urban migration and give relevant reasons, including pressure on city services, the loss of agricultural activity, and environmental effects. Your personal example about moving for a career also supports the discussion. However, the position is not fully consistent: the final paragraph says there are “good factors in both urban and rural areas” and calls for balance, without clearly stating whether you still consider the overall development negative. Several claims, such as migration disturbing social peace or rural areas becoming barren, are asserted rather than explained with specific examples. Make your overall judgement explicit from the introduction through the conclusion, and develop fewer points with clearer cause-and-effect reasoning and relevant evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, paragraphs discussing effects on cities and rural areas, a personal example, and a concluding paragraph. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “Last but not least” help signal movement between points. However, the progression is not always clear. The personal experience appears as a separate paragraph and is not explicitly connected to the argument, while the conclusion introduces a more balanced position that weakens the earlier negative stance. Some sentences also combine several effects in a list, making relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Organise the body around a clear sequence of main reasons, use linking expressions to show how each example supports them, and make the conclusion follow directly from your stated position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “migration,” “agricultural trend,” “equilibrium,” “global warming,” and “opportunities.” This gives you some ability to discuss social and environmental consequences. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or unnatural, as in “balance of human ecosystem,” “less people for aggregation,” and “city life has cursed me.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “distrub,” “oppertunities,” and “enviornmental,” which reduce the accuracy of the vocabulary. Aim for clear, natural expressions rather than elevated wording that does not fit the meaning. For example, describe pressure on services directly and use precise terms for farming and rural employment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and attempts at longer, complex sentences, for example, “People run towards the city life for ease and better opportunities but leave behind a pure life…” This shows some range, but complex structures are often not controlled consistently. In “With this migration a drastic change is happening in the population of village life which may affect later on,” the reference of “which” and the meaning of “affect” are unclear. Other issues include missing or inconsistent articles and punctuation, as in “Serenity of village is from it's folks,” and the sentence “city life has cursed me with health issues and making me a self centered person,” where the verb forms do not match. Check sentence boundaries, agreement, articles, and parallel verb forms, and revise long sentences for clarity.

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