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)

Globally, a lot of people are trying to settle in the cities resulting in a loss of population in the rural areas. Although moving to a big city is beneficial, on the other hand it does pose some threats to small villages. I believe that moving to a big city offers great benefits to the people as well as the development of that city.

Firstly, the main reason people move to a larger city is to get a decent job which pays good salary. Therefore, increasing number of people working in a city can help in generating a good amount of revenue. Another major reason is that it can help improve a country's economy. For instance, if more and more people move to a city they can offer help in different sectors and departments which can boost a country's economy.

Regarding the benefits for people their lifestyle can improve significantly. For example, a person living in a small village is not able to earn a good amount of wage for himself and his family but he can get a handsome salary in a city which can help improve his living conditions. People can also get good education since schools and colleges in a city are much better than rural areas. Thus, a higher number of educated individuals can play a great role in development of a country. Hospitals are also a lot better in a city as compared to a village so people can get better health treatments. Living conditions are also much better in a city as compared to rural places.

In conclusion, my point is that if more people tend to migrate towards big cities, this can play a vital role in the development and betterment of the society. Cities and people from rural areas can have mutually benefit each other and improve their conditions simultaneously.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you consider rural-to-urban migration positive because it can improve employment, education, healthcare and economic development. These are relevant reasons, and the examples about a village resident earning more in a city help explain the personal benefits. However, the response does not fully explore the negative side introduced in the opening, such as the effects on villages when their populations decline. The claim that cities and rural people can “mutually benefit” is also not explained, and several points—such as better living conditions—are asserted rather than supported with specific detail. Develop fewer ideas more fully and address the consequences for both urban and rural communities to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs focused on economic and personal benefits, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “For instance,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the main points. However, some linking is mechanical, and the second body paragraph groups education, healthcare and living conditions without clearly showing how each supports the central argument. The opening phrase “Although… on the other hand” creates an awkward contrast, while the conclusion introduces mutual benefits that have not been developed in the body. Use more precise transitions and organise each paragraph around a clearly developed main idea, with references that connect back to it.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “generate revenue,” “boost a country’s economy,” “living conditions,” and “educated individuals.” These expressions make the main ideas clear, and you attempt some less common phrasing such as “play a vital role.” However, several choices are imprecise or repetitive: “good amount of revenue,” “good amount of wage,” and repeated uses of “better” and “city” could be expressed more naturally and specifically. “Offer help in different sectors” is also vague. Aim for accurate collocations and more varied terms for migration, employment and public services; this would make the argument more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including a conditional sentence (“if more and more people move to a city…”) and a contrast clause beginning “Although.” Most sentences communicate their meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “increasing number of people” needs an article, and “a decent job which pays good salary” is missing an article before “good salary.” In “Cities and people from rural areas can have mutually benefit each other,” the verb pattern is incorrect; use “can mutually benefit each other.” There are also punctuation and sentence-boundary issues, such as the comma splice in “Regarding the benefits for people their lifestyle…”. Check articles, clause boundaries and verb patterns, while continuing to use varied sentence forms.

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