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)

With the modernization of the world there is rise in the urban facilities in many countries leading to migration of large population in cities from rural areas. This trend has many advantages and disadvantages. I think despite many setbacks it is a postive development as it allow the access of modern services including employment and education to a large proportion of population.

On the one hand, moving to urban area provide a wide range of facilities to people. Most of big cities have better infrastructure, shopping malls and recreational activities compared to rural areas. Many metropolitan cities like Toronto, London and Tokyo have modern transport systems in the form of trains, buses and subways. Moreover, big cities have better facilities of water and sanition. One important reason for moving to big cities is education as there are many universities and technological colleges. Futhermore, there are more employment opportunities in cities. So urban population of the world is rising significantly.

On the other hand, mass migration to urban areas posses a wide range of challenges for governments. There are some disadvantages of this approach as it overburdens the infrastructure resulting in overcrowding, traffic congestion, air and noise pollution in big cities. In addition, it leads to rise in the cost of accommodation in big cities. Deforestation to cretae new housing societies also worsening the situation.

In conclusion, I believe that moving to big cities has many educational and financial benefits for the population if managed well by authorities. The issues created by this trend need to be addresses seriously by governments. The government should ensure adequate delivery of services to its population all over the country.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: despite drawbacks, you consider rural-to-urban migration positive because it improves access to employment and education. You address both benefits and costs, supporting the discussion with examples such as transport systems in Toronto, London and Tokyo, and the pressures of congestion, pollution and housing costs. This is a relevant, well-focused response with a clear conclusion. To strengthen it further, develop the central judgement more fully: explain why the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, rather than mainly listing them. Some points, such as deforestation and the need for government action, are introduced but not explained in detail. More specific examples or consequences would make the support more convincing and reduce generalisation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers understand the direction of the argument. Ideas within each paragraph are generally grouped logically, moving from facilities to education and employment, then to urban pressures. To improve the flow further, connect some listed points through explanation rather than relying mainly on additive transitions such as “Moreover” and “Furthermore.” The final recommendation about service delivery could also be linked more explicitly to the earlier problems of overcrowding and uneven access, making the conclusion feel more fully integrated.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “migration,” “infrastructure,” “employment opportunities,” “traffic congestion,” and “accommodation.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and some terms are appropriate to an academic discussion. However, there are several spelling errors, including “postive,” “sanition,” “Futhermore,” “posses,” and “cretae,” as well as some imprecise or awkward combinations such as “rise in the urban facilities” and “delivery of services to its population.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit the accuracy and naturalness of the vocabulary. Aim to check spelling carefully and use more precise collocations, especially when describing urban growth and public services.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in “despite many setbacks” and a conditional phrase in “if managed well by authorities.” Most sentences communicate their meaning, and the paragraph structure helps keep the argument clear. Some grammatical errors remain, however. For example, “there is rise” needs an article, “moving to urban area provide” has a subject–verb agreement and number problem, and “D deforestation … also worsening” lacks a correctly formed verb construction. There are also issues with articles and plural forms in phrases such as “Most of big cities.” Review agreement, articles, and verb forms, then proofread each sentence to improve accuracy while retaining your range of structures.

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