Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-15

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)

In recent years, movement of rural people to the cities has become widely discussed issue, therefore, decrease in the population in countryside is seen marginally. In my opinion, it has negative effects on society and development, because cities have become overcrowded and rural areas are seeing slight population decline.

The primary reason for this is major migration from villages to cities for better future and due to this it is getting overpopulated and competition is getting higher. For an instance, more people are studying the same degree for same process and running in corporate sector but there are hundreds of people with same expertise, therefore, more and more people are getting unemployed.

Furthermore, another major issue is of agriculture, as more countrysides are seeing population decline, so, it is obvious that they will have shortage of farmers and labour at same time. As a result, it marginally effects the food sector of country. For example, a drastic change of migration has seen in Pakistan over past few years and labour shortage in villages , as Pakistan is an agricultural country , it is facing wheat shortage for past 5 years. In contrast to last example these both are co-related more persons will migrate, there will be more shortage.

In conclusion, although moving to city have many benefits, but i believe that migration for the purpose of seeking knowledge is fair enough, whereas , staying or complete let go of traditional roots will always have negative effects on individual and nation, because the lack of food and overpopulation respectively are never in the favour of any nation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you consider rural-to-urban migration a negative development, mainly because it can increase pressure on cities and reduce the rural workforce. The discussion of competition for jobs and a shortage of agricultural labour is relevant, and the Pakistan example helps make the second point more concrete. However, the first example about people studying the same degree and entering the corporate sector is not fully explained, so its link to migration and unemployment remains somewhat unclear. The conclusion also introduces the idea of abandoning “traditional roots,” which is not developed in the body. To strengthen the response, explain each cause-and-effect chain more fully and keep the conclusion focused on the two main arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the main points are generally presented in a sensible order. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “As a result,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear: “In contrast to last example” does not express a clear contrast, and “these both are co-related” leaves the relationship between the examples vague. The first body paragraph also moves quickly from migration to education, corporate work and unemployment without clearly guiding the reader through the links. Use fewer formulaic transitions and make each paragraph develop one central point in a clear sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “overcrowded,” “competition,” “agriculture,” “labour shortage,” and “traditional roots.” These choices allow you to discuss both urban pressures and rural consequences. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “widely discussed issue,” “for an instance,” “effects the food sector,” and “complete let go.” Some repetition of “more people” and “shortage” also limits flexibility. Aim to learn common word partnerships and check whether a word has the intended meaning; for example, distinguish “affect” (verb) from “effect” (noun). More precise phrasing would make your argument easier to follow and sound more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “as,” and “although,” and the overall meaning is usually understandable. Some sentence structures are controlled, but errors in articles, agreement, verb forms and punctuation remain noticeable. For example, “has become widely discussed issue” needs an article, while “moving to city have” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The final sentence beginning “although” is not well controlled, and several long sentences join ideas with commas rather than clear sentence boundaries. Review article use and agreement, and divide complex ideas into shorter sentences when needed. This would improve accuracy without reducing the range of structures you attempt.

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