Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-17
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)
It is widely observed that many individuals are migrating from rural regions to urban areas in numerous countries, which results in the mass reduction of villager's population. I strongly believe that it is a negative development because it may increase both demand of public facilities and burden on local government. In addition, these country folks are particularly involved in farming and agriculture business, which would largely affect by their migration.
The relocation of a large population of villagers to cities will require more facilities including public transport, hospitals, educational institutes, and residential buildings. In order to provide these basic facilities to the increasing urban population, local government may need a considerably amount of financial resources. This is quite challenging for a developing country, where availability of these basic needs are already scarce. Most of the time, people moved in search of better health and educational facilities. So, if these facilities are provided adequately in rural areas, many villagers may not think about migratiing to urban areas.
The countryside people are particularly involved in farming, cattle raising and agriculture businesses, which play a crucial role in the economy and national development of a country. The resettlement of a large number of rural people may significantly affect these businesses and exert a set back on a country's economy. This is quite concerning for countries those economy entirely rely on these sources.
In conclusion, relocation of country folks to urban areas is a serious issue across the entire world. This should be considered as a negative development because it may considerably affect a country's economy at one hand and increase the burden on the local urban government on other hand. Alternatively, the rural people should be provided with better educational and health facilities in their local areas to discourage them from migration.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
Your position is clear from the introduction: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative, and the conclusion restates this view. You address the question with two relevant reasons: pressure on urban services and the loss of workers from agriculture. The first point is extended through examples such as transport, hospitals and housing, and you suggest improving rural services as a response. The agricultural argument is relevant, but its effects on the economy are asserted rather than illustrated or explained in detail; the claim that some countries rely entirely on these sources is also broad. To strengthen the response further, develop this second reason with a specific consequence or example and qualify general claims more carefully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction states your view, each body paragraph develops a separate reason, and the conclusion summarises the argument and offers a response. Linking expressions such as “In addition,” “In order to,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the structure. The main ideas are generally grouped appropriately, although some connections are a little mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “This is quite…” to introduce consequences. The reference in “these sources” is also less precise than it could be, since the paragraph mentions several related activities. Use a wider range of natural transitions and make references explicit to keep the argument flowing smoothly.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “public facilities,” “financial resources,” “cattle raising,” and “national development.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “mass reduction of villager’s population,” “demand of public facilities,” and “exert a set back.” There are also spelling errors, including “migratiing,” which reduce the precision of the writing. Aim for more natural combinations and accurate forms—for example, “a decline in the rural population,” “demand for public services,” and “deal a setback to the economy.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including a relative clause in the opening sentence and conditional forms such as “if these facilities are provided… many villagers may not think about migrating.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. Examples include “which would largely affect by their migration,” where the passive construction is incomplete, and “a considerably amount,” where the modifier does not agree with the noun. There are also agreement and article problems in “availability … are” and “countries those economy.” Review subject–verb agreement, articles, and clause structure, then proofread longer sentences to improve accuracy while retaining your range of sentence forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.