Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Individuals are migrating from rural areas to urban areas around the world, which leads to decreasing in population rate in the countryside. I think it is a negative development as it affect both cities and village. Relocating leads to increasing pollution in cities and decreasing worker in farm areas.

Firstly, people migrate from village to cities to acquire better education system,high paid job. Also, there is no electricity problem, water scarcity in cities but it leads to less worker in countryside. For example, a survey concluded that there is very less production of food in countryside as compared to past. It also concluded that population may suffer from food scarcity in few decades. Moreover, there is less machinery available for farming in countryside because it is only introduced in city side.

Secondly, moving to urban areas lead to pollution and traffic also. Nowadays, every second person in cities has a vehicle and there is a lot of traffic congestion in city area as compared to past time. For example, a report of a city concluded that there is

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

Your position is clear: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative, and you identify possible effects on both cities and rural communities. The points about fewer farm workers, food production, pollution and traffic are relevant to the question. However, the response addresses the task only partially because the ideas are brief and not sufficiently explained or supported. The food-scarcity prediction and the claim that machinery is available only in cities need clearer reasoning or credible examples. The second example is unfinished (“a report of a city concluded that there is”), and there is no conclusion to reinforce your judgement. The response is also 72 words below the required minimum, which limits the opportunity to develop your argument. Extend each main point and complete the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs, and linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “Secondly.” This helps the reader follow the shift from rural effects to urban effects. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven: several claims are placed together without explaining how one leads to the next, and the second example stops mid-sentence. The essay also lacks a concluding paragraph, so the overall argument feels incomplete. Some connections are mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “also” and “For example.” To improve, organise each paragraph around one central effect, explain it, then give a complete example and link it back to your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “population,” “food scarcity,” “machinery,” “pollution,” and “traffic congestion.” These choices make the subject clear, and some phrases show an attempt to discuss consequences rather than simply describe migration. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “decreasing in population rate,” “high paid job,” “less worker,” and “city side.” “Very less production” is also awkward, while “every second person” is an imprecise way to describe vehicle ownership. These errors sometimes make the intended meaning less clear. Aim for accurate, natural combinations such as “a decline in the rural population,” “well-paid jobs,” and “a shortage of farm workers,” and check word forms and countable nouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in the opening (“which leads to…”) and a reason clause beginning “because.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect clarity. For example, “it affect both cities and village” needs agreement and plural forms, while “moving to urban areas lead” requires a singular verb. The sentence beginning “Also, there is no electricity problem…” is difficult to interpret because its clauses are not clearly connected. Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, as in “system,high.” Practise checking subject–verb agreement and building complete sentences; then use a few accurate complex structures rather than joining several ideas loosely.

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