Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-29

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 many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the population in countryside is decreasing. Comparing the pros and cons, I think this is a negative development overall.

On the one hand, rural people are living such a miserable life than the people living in cities. For a better lifestyle and development, rural individuals must move to the cityside. Usually, in countryside, people don't get enough water, electricity, or even internet and it makes one's life tough to survive. In this generation, surviving without basic needs are comparatively hard. Another important thing they don't get is education. Most rural people are uneducated and for this reason, a huge amount of our population is remaining illiterate. For instance, people living in countryside do not even know the alphabets of their own language and they don't even have money to buy their basic needs so how would they get education. Every individual deserves to lead a easy going life, and that's why, rural people are moving to cities to decrease the pain of their miserable needy life.

On the other hand, countryside population is decreasing day by day which is a huge loss to our environment, trees, and natural resources. When people from countryside are moving to cities, the place they used to live is remaining abandoned, and thus, there is no one to take care of the trees, surroundings, animals etc. Countryside is filled with animals like cows, chickens, goats, ducks etc, and if there won't be anyone to take care of them then, the wildlife will also be affected. For example, people from countryside are moving to cities in search of jobs and they leave their house, garden, pet animals behind for a better life in city. That's how this is bringing a negative development to our countryside.

Consequently, the fall number of individuals in countryside is affecting our development. The government should take further steps to eradicate this issue. There should be enough developments in countryside so people there don't move to cities for betterment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative overall, and the conclusion reinforces this view. You address both the reasons people leave—limited access to services and education—and the effects on rural areas, including abandoned homes and reduced care for animals and surroundings. These are relevant points, but they are not developed equally: the first body paragraph mainly explains why migration may improve individuals’ lives, rather than fully connecting that point to your overall negative judgement. Some claims, such as that rural residents are generally uneducated, also need qualification or stronger support. To develop the response further, explain more precisely how population decline harms communities or the environment and support the claims with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a concluding paragraph. The main ideas are generally understandable, and examples are placed near the points they illustrate. However, the progression is sometimes difficult to follow: the first body paragraph describes the benefits of moving to cities, while the overall argument is that migration is negative, and the link between these ideas is not made explicit. Some connections are also mechanical or unclear, particularly “Consequently” before the final recommendation. Improve cohesion by making each paragraph’s role in your argument clear, using more precise references, and explaining the relationship between examples and your central position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to discuss migration, services, education and rural life, including terms such as “illiterate,” “abandoned,” and “natural resources.” However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, which limits the clarity and flexibility of the vocabulary. For example, “cityside,” “a huge loss to our environment,” and “the fall number of individuals” do not express the intended ideas naturally. Repetition of “countryside,” “people,” and “moving to cities” also makes the response less varied. Aim to use more precise topic vocabulary and check common word partnerships; for instance, describe a “declining rural population” and explain the specific environmental or community consequences rather than relying on broad claims.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including conditional forms such as “if there won't be anyone to take care of them” and longer sentences explaining causes and consequences. The overall meaning is usually clear, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “rural people are living such a miserable life than” (comparison structure), “surviving without basic needs are” (subject–verb agreement), and “lead a easy going life” (article use). There are also problems with sentence construction in “so how would they get education” and with punctuation around clauses. Review comparative forms, agreement, articles and clause boundaries, then edit longer sentences to ensure each clause is grammatically complete.

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