Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-25

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 days a growing trend has been observed in many countries across the world where people are relocating towards the cities by leaving there rural areas instead to make efforts for its development. Although, many folks are in favor of this notion as they see it from benefits prospective that city residents enjoy but for me it raises serious concern and i will try to shed light on some impacts that such trend can bring in the following paragraphs.

To start with, the people who are in support of this relocation trend are influenced by the benefits concept like cities offer more benefits in term of education or health which is true up to some extent but meanwhile we cannot ignore the consequences it would bring if such trend kept growing. Moving ahead, Such movements trigger the imbalance population issues by making the cities more populated which result by putting more burden on the allocated resources to the cities hence lead to daily life issues. For example, when more people move to city they need more houses to stay which lead to higher rent, Similarly, it could lead to the requirement of more land and hence more forest and agriculture land would be replaced by concrete forest which ultimately impact the environment in a very bad way.

On the flip side of coin, As people living in rural areas mostly depend on agriculture for their main income and such trend will impact agriculture too which lead to low yield of crops and contribution to the food economy of the country. For instance, Instead of moving to cities such people can putt their efforts to established their area and in current era Governments trying to provide equal benefits to people living in rural areas.

To sum up my views, Although there are some benefits which an individual can enjoy by moving to city but if it is in bulk it will lead to serious issues for everyone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative when it happens on a large scale, and you acknowledge that cities can offer better education and healthcare. You support this view with relevant consequences, including pressure on housing, higher rents, land conversion, and reduced agricultural output. This addresses the question, but the two sides are not developed equally: the benefits of city life are mentioned briefly, while the negative effects receive more explanation. Some claims, such as governments providing equal benefits in rural areas, would be stronger with a specific example or explanation of how this reduces migration. Develop each main point with a clearer cause-and-effect explanation to make the response more complete and convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The ideas generally progress from urban pressures to the effect on agriculture, and examples help illustrate the points. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward, particularly the repeated transitions “To start with,” “Moving ahead,” and “On the flip side of coin.” The first body paragraph also shifts from the benefits of migration to its disadvantages without a clear distinction between the opposing view and your own response. Some references, such as “such trend” and “it,” are not always precise. Use topic sentences to signal each paragraph’s purpose and connect ideas with clearer, more natural transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “relocating,” “allocated resources,” “agriculture,” and “contribution to the food economy.” These choices show an effort to discuss the issue beyond basic terms. However, several word combinations or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “benefits concept,” “benefits prospective,” “imbalance population issues,” and “concrete forest.” Spelling and word-form slips, including “there” for “their” and “putt,” also reduce precision. The intended meaning is usually recoverable, but these errors make some phrases less clear and limit the naturalness of the writing. Focus on accurate collocations and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “Although,” “which,” and “if,” so there is some variety in structure. However, control is inconsistent, especially in longer sentences that combine several ideas. For example, “Moving ahead, Such movements trigger the imbalance population issues by making the cities more populated which result…” has problems with clause structure and subject–verb agreement. Other examples include “when more people move to city they need more houses… which lead” and “such trend will impact agriculture too which lead.” Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “Although,” and “Similarly” after a comma. Build complex sentences carefully, checking agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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