Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Across different regions around the globe, we can observe a shift of rural population from countryside to the cities. I believe this to be a negative development as people coming from a family of farmers tend to work in a different profession. Also, people in cities do not practice their culture on a complete scale. This results in forgotten skills and culture over generations.

Farming is the most valuable profession in any region, and if a farmer moves to a city, they leave farming behind for other professions. This is because, there is no scope of farming in a city and even if they find something similar, the cost of living outweighs the amount of money they will earn. People in countryside also has a habit of sharing resources with other people which is not something a city person does. This also connects to how culture is passed down to different generations.

Even though there are festivals celebrated in cities and that too on a much larger scale. People from different cultures often mix up rituals. This leads to loosing the essence of old customs that needs to be followed. For example, in India, there is a festival called "Navratri" which is festival of Maa Durga. It is celebrated in villages by placing a kalash which is said to be blessed in the center, and people sing folk songs around it. But people in cities forgot what the festival is about and all they care about now is how good they can dress and dance.

In conclusion, I believe that people moving from countryside to cities leads to a very negative development across the whole world. It results in decrease in number of farmers as well as losing our cultures and values.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative, mainly because it may reduce farming and weaken cultural traditions. Both points are relevant, and the Navratri example gives the cultural argument a concrete illustration. However, the two reasons are not developed equally. The farming paragraph asserts that farmers leave agriculture and that city living is costly, but does not explain the wider consequences, such as effects on food production or rural economies. The cultural example is more specific, though its claims about city residents are broad and would benefit from qualification or evidence. To strengthen the response, explain the consequences of each point and support generalisations with careful reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present reasons, and the conclusion restates your position. The progression from farming to cultural change is easy to follow, and phrases such as “This also connects to” help link ideas. Some connections are less clear or mechanical, however. For example, “This results in forgotten skills and culture over generations” is broad, and the link between sharing resources and cultural transmission needs further explanation. The opening of the third paragraph, “Even though there are festivals…,” is a dependent clause without a complete main clause, which interrupts the flow. Use clearer links between claims and examples, and make each paragraph’s central point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “profession,” “resources,” “rituals,” “customs,” and “generations.” These choices allow you to discuss both agriculture and cultural change, and the Navratri example adds relevant specificity. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural expressions that limit precision: “on a complete scale” does not clearly express how culture is practised, while “mix up rituals” is not the intended collocation for cultural blending. “Loosing” is a spelling error, and “forgot” is less suitable than a phrase describing gradual cultural loss. Aim for more precise collocations and avoid sweeping wording such as “all they care about,” which makes the argument sound less measured.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including conditional structures (“if a farmer moves to a city”) and a relative clause (“which is said to be blessed”). Meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. In “People in countryside also has,” the subject requires a plural verb, and the noun phrase needs an article. “Even though there are festivals celebrated in cities…” is an incomplete subordinate clause; connect it to a main clause or use “Although” with a complete sentence. The sentence beginning “This is because” also has an unnecessary comma after “because.” Review subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, while continuing to use complex structures.

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