Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-30

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 the rapidly changing world, rural people moving to cities has become a mater of considerable debate. As the people move to areas for better living, the population in the countryside is relatively decreasing over years. I think this is a negative development and over the time, it would be a issue.

One of the main reasons why rural people move to cities is for the search of jobs as well as improving their way of living. This is because in villages, people rely on agriculture and horiculture, which sometimes get affected by the improper rains or natural disasters, which lead to the loss of their income and livelihood. As a result, villagers tend to look out for jobs. Therefore, it is clear that rural population is decreasing day-by-day.

In addition, rural people will also to move to cities for amenities such as hospitals, schools and colleges since few villages lack basic facilities, it is necessary for the people to move into urban jungle. For example, people from tribes come to cities for medical facilites. Thus, the people from most of the rural and small towns move to cities in search of livelihood and this is a serious issue to be taken care by goverment. As it may reduce the production of food, dairy and other important products.

In conclusion, people moving to cities for livelihood is a necessity for them and overall, it is a disaster for the future as it may face lack of resources.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you consider rural-to-urban migration a negative development, and you give relevant reasons, including the search for work and access to hospitals and education. However, the response only partially develops the task. Much of the second paragraph explains why people leave, rather than showing in detail why the resulting population decline is harmful. You mention reduced food and dairy production, but this consequence needs explanation or a specific example. The claim that migration is “a disaster for the future” is also broad and not fully supported. The response is 247 words, so it does not meet the 250-word minimum. Develop the effects on rural communities and food supply more fully, and support your position with a concrete example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present reasons, and a conclusion restates your position. Linking expressions such as “One of the main reasons,” “In addition,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow this structure. However, progression is sometimes weakened because the first body paragraph focuses on why people move, while the connection to the negative consequences of depopulation is not made explicit. In the second body paragraph, the sentence beginning “since few villages lack basic facilities” joins several ideas in a way that makes their relationship unclear. The conclusion also introduces a general prediction about resource shortages without developing it. Make each paragraph’s main point explicit and use clearer links between causes and consequences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “livelihood,” “natural disasters,” “amenities,” and “production,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “a matter of considerable debate.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “improving their way of living,” “urban jungle,” and “a serious issue to be taken care by government.” Spelling errors such as “mater,” “horiculture,” “facilites,” and “goverment” are noticeable. These do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and control. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, use “improve their standard of living” and “addressed by the government.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, using clauses with “because,” “which,” and “as a result.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the main message is generally understandable. However, some grammatical errors remain, particularly in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “rural people will also to move” has an incorrect verb pattern, while “it would be a issue” needs the correct article. The sentence beginning “since few villages lack basic facilities” is also difficult to follow because the clauses are not joined clearly. In the conclusion, “it may face lack of resources” has an unclear subject and missing article. Review verb patterns and article use, and divide or restructure sentences when several ideas are joined.

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