Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-14

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 6.0)

In many countries, people are moving from rural areas to cities, and the population of the countryside is decreasing. Some people move to cities to find better jobs and education. In my opinion, this is a negative development because it creates problems in cities and affects rural areas.

Firstly, when a large number of people move to cities, it creates several problems. Cities become overcrowded, and people may face difficulties in finding affordable houses. Moreover, there is more traffic on the roads, and public transport becomes crowded. For example, in big cities like Lahore, people often spend a lot of time travelling because of heavy traffic. As a result, their daily life becomes more difficult.

Secondly, the decreasing population in rural areas also has negative effects. Many young people leave their villages to get better jobs and earn more money. Therefore, fewer people remain to work on farms and support local businesses. In addition, older people may feel lonely because their children move to cities. This can make village life more difficult for families.

In conclusion, although moving to cities can provide better employment and educational opportunities, I believe it is a negative development overall. This is because it increases problems in cities and reduces the number of workers in rural areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction to the conclusion: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative, and you address effects on both cities and rural communities. The examples of overcrowding, traffic, fewer farm workers and loneliness are relevant. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For instance, you say that fewer people remain to support local businesses, but do not show what consequences this has for village services or livelihoods. The Lahore example illustrates traffic, though it could be linked more explicitly to migration. The response is also 38 words below the required minimum, so there is limited space to develop the reasons and examples. Extend the main points with specific explanations or evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised clearly into an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, with each body paragraph focused on a distinct effect. The progression from urban pressures to rural consequences is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Moreover” and “In conclusion” guide the reader. This meets the lower-band expectations securely and shows some effective organisation. To make the flow more flexible, avoid relying mainly on explicit sequencing words and develop clearer links between claims and their consequences. For example, connect the departure of young people directly to the impact on farms and local businesses, rather than presenting these as separate statements. More precise referencing between sentences would also help the argument feel more integrated.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for communicating the main ideas, and phrases such as “overcrowded,” “affordable houses,” “heavy traffic” and “employment and educational opportunities” are relevant to the topic. Meaning remains clear throughout. However, the range is somewhat limited, with repeated general words such as “problems,” “difficult” and “better,” and several ideas are expressed in familiar, broad terms. Some phrasing could be more precise and natural for an academic argument; for example, “affordable houses” could be replaced with “affordable housing,” and “support local businesses” could be specified more clearly. Build a wider set of topic-related expressions and use them accurately to describe pressures on urban infrastructure and the effects of rural depopulation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and most sentences are clear and correctly controlled. Subordinate clauses are handled effectively in examples such as “because it creates problems in cities” and “because their children move to cities.” The present-tense forms are consistent, and punctuation generally supports readability. This is a sound foundation, but the sentence patterns are often similar, with several short statements joined by basic connectors. To strengthen the range, try combining related ideas using relative clauses or more varied subordinate structures, while keeping control of agreement and clause boundaries. For instance, the points about traffic and public transport could be developed in a single more complex sentence. Overall, grammatical errors are limited and do not impede communication.

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