Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Nowadays, people in different countries are shifting from rural areas to cities, as a result inhabitants in the countryside are falling. In my opinion it is negative development because it creates problems for both rural and urban areas

One main reason why people shifting to cities is that they can get better jobs and educational opportunities. Cities usually have better schools, universities, hospitals, and companies. People believe that living in urban areas can help them to improve their living standards and provide a better future for their families. For example, a student who move to a city to get a university degree can also find a part-time job to support his family. After completing his education, he may get well-paid job in a company and enjoy a better standard of living. However, when too many people are leave the countryside, there are fewer workers available for farming. This can reduce agriculture production and affect the food supply.

Another reason is that the increasing population in cities puts pressure on public services. When many individuals are move to urban areas, the demand of housing, transport, hospitals, and schools increases. This can lead to traffic congestion, expensive houses, and overcrowded public places. For instance, people in large cities often spend hours in travelling to work because of heavy traffic.

In conclusion, I consider the decreasing population of rural areas a negative development because it reduces the number of farm workers and increase pressure on cities. Government should create better opportunities in countryside to solve this problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative, and the conclusion restates the two main consequences. The response addresses the question with relevant points about fewer farm workers and pressure on city services, and the examples of a student finding work and urban traffic help illustrate these ideas. However, the discussion is unevenly developed: the first body paragraph explains the benefits that motivate migration at greater length than it explains the rural harm, while the second paragraph lists pressures on services but gives limited explanation of their wider effects. To strengthen the response, develop the consequences more fully and connect each example directly to why the overall trend is negative.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction to two body paragraphs and a conclusion. The paragraphs each have a recognisable focus, and signposts such as “One main reason,” “Another reason,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow. The contrast introduced by “However” also helps connect the attraction of cities with the loss of rural workers. At times, though, the organisation feels somewhat mechanical, and the relationship between the reasons people move and the negative effects could be made more explicit. For example, the second body paragraph could link city growth more directly to the migration described earlier. Use a wider range of natural transitions and clearer references to connect claims and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “educational opportunities,” “living standards,” “agriculture production,” “public services,” and “traffic congestion.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and some phrases show an attempt to discuss social and economic effects precisely. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “inhabitants … are falling,” “demand of housing,” and “spend hours in travelling.” There is also repetition of general terms such as “cities” and “people.” Aim for more precise, natural combinations—for example, “the rural population is declining,” “demand for housing,” and “spend hours travelling”—and vary references to urban and rural communities.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional example (“After completing his education, he may get…”) and a subordinate clause beginning “because.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. Examples include missing verb forms in “people shifting to cities,” “a student who move,” and “many individuals are move”; agreement errors in “this is negative development” and “it reduces … and increase”; and article or plural errors such as “get well-paid job” and “solve this problems.” These errors do not usually prevent understanding, but they limit accuracy. Review subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb patterns, then proofread each sentence for a complete and correctly formed verb.

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