Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-01

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)

There are many countries around the world where rural people are moving to cities. This results in decrease in population of the countryside. In my opinion, this is a negative development not only for the people of the city but also for the people who have migrated from rural area to cities.

Firstly, one of the biggest disadvantages for the both city and rural people is decline in job opportunities. It is undeniable that even many of the people living in cities are struggling to find a proper job. The migration of people from the countryside to city will eventually make it more difficult for people to find a job. Majority of the people who are moving to the cities take the decision so they can have better opportunities to earn and this will only increase the competition, hence lowering the chances for better job opportunities. For instance, comapnies are either hiring on the basis of low salary and more work or higher skills and knowledge about the market. This makes it difficult for both city and rural people to work with these kind of conditions.

Secondly, cities are becoming more and more congested as the population is increasing. The moving of rural people to cities makes it more tough for people to live comfortably in their own city. Difficulties like traffic congestion, occupied houses, and even stampied like situations become common in some areas of the city. For example, cities are already struggling with the problem of traffic congestion and addition of people from the rural areas makes this issue more critical and frustrating for the people who are already living in the city.

In conclusion, Although, if people from rural areas will start moving to cities, that can be beneficial for them personally. It will make it more difficult for the people who are already living in the city in terms of job opportunities and congestion due to increase in the population of the city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear from the introduction: you consider rural-to-urban migration a negative development, and the conclusion returns to this view. You give two relevant reasons—greater competition for jobs and congestion—and support them with examples such as hiring practices and traffic. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The employment paragraph moves from competition to companies’ hiring choices without clearly explaining how these examples affect both groups, while the congestion paragraph focuses mainly on existing city residents. The task also invites consideration of the development overall; briefly weighing the possible benefits to migrants against wider costs would make your response more complete. Develop each main point with a clearer cause-and-effect explanation and a specific, well-linked example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted with “Firstly” and “Secondly,” and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument easy to follow. You also use linking expressions such as “For instance” and “For example” to introduce support. At times, however, cohesion is mechanical or the links between ideas are not fully clear. In the first body paragraph, the shift from job competition to companies’ salary and skill requirements needs a more explicit connection. The conclusion begins with “Although” but does not complete a contrasting clause, which disrupts the transition. Use linking words more selectively and make the relationship between each example and its main point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for the topic, including “job opportunities,” “competition,” “congested,” and “traffic congestion.” These choices help communicate the central concerns, and some repetition is natural for this subject. However, several word-choice and collocation problems make the expression less precise, such as “more tough,” “occupied houses,” and “stampied like situations.” There is also a spelling error in “comapnies.” Phrases such as “the both city and rural people” and “better job opportunities” are repeated or awkwardly formed. Aim for more accurate collocations and vary repeated terms—for example, refer to “urban residents” and “rural migrants” where appropriate. Proofreading spelling and phrasing would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “that,” “who,” and “as,” and most of the argument remains understandable. Some grammatical errors are noticeable, particularly with articles, agreement, and sentence construction. For example, “This results in decrease” needs an article, and “Majority of the people … take the decision” has an awkward singular/plural pattern. The conclusion’s opening, “Although, if people …,” combines two clause structures without completing the contrast. There are also inconsistent conditional forms, as in “if people … will start moving.” Practise building complete complex sentences and check articles and subject–verb agreement. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to read.

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