Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-02

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)

In many parts of the world, rural individuals are migrating to the major cities, causing a decline in the population of the rural areas. This essay will highlight the pros and cons of this rising concern, and the possible steps taken to overcome this issue.

In the current era, technology has revolutionized everyone's mindset. The advertisement of the lifestyle and infrastructure of cities on social media has attracted the people of rural areas. Their migration has several impacts on the people living in cities.

Poverty, lack of educational institutes and work opportunities, and unconstructed roads are the reasons which diverts their mind for migration. I persume that this leads to a negative development, since the negative sides of their migration overweigh the positive ones. As the population of the rural areas decreases, the vast land on the countryside remains unused. The move of rural people to the cities increases the environmental pollution, as well as land pollution. The cities have become more crowded, with lack of job opportunities and competition with the rise of population. This leads to the hike in prices.

In addition to this, with the rising population, the government has also increased the tax on the basic facilities. I persume that the officials should take some actions in order to control this concern. For instance, When I was at university, I have heard majority of students from interior side migrated to the developed cities to acquire higher education, as their village doesn't have a university. As they arrive, they got enrolled on the seats which were intended for city students. In the result, the students of the city areas lost their seats at public university.

In conclusion, the government officials should start initiatives to modernize the rural areas. The education system and infrastructure should be modified, with the provision of basic facilities to the people. The outcome will show a change in the average of the people moving to the city areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you regard rural-to-urban migration as negative, and you give relevant reasons, including pressure on city jobs, pollution, rising prices and the loss of rural land use. The university example also illustrates how limited rural education can drive migration and affect city residents. This covers the task and shows some development beyond simply listing effects. However, the discussion is uneven: the opening promises both pros and cons, but the essay does not explain any benefits, and the proposed government response is only briefly stated. Some claims, such as higher taxes on basic facilities, would benefit from clearer explanation. To strengthen the response, keep the introduction aligned with your negative position and develop the main effects and solutions with specific cause-and-effect reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure, moving from an introduction to reasons and effects, an example, and a conclusion. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and linking phrases such as “In addition to this” and “For instance” guide the reader. However, progression is not always smooth: the second paragraph discusses social media and then shifts abruptly to city impacts, while the university example appears after a point about government taxes without a clear connection. The introduction also promises pros and cons, which does not match the body’s focus. Some links, including “In the result,” are awkward, and references such as “this concern” are not precise. Group related causes, consequences and solutions more clearly, and use transitions that show the exact relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “migration,” “infrastructure,” “environmental pollution,” “competition” and “basic facilities,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “unconstructed roads,” “overweigh the positive ones,” “interior side,” and “the average of the people moving” do not express the intended meanings clearly. “Persume” is also misspelled, and “rising concern” is not a natural description of the trend itself. Aim for accurate, conventional collocations rather than formal-sounding phrases, and check spelling and word forms. More precise vocabulary would make your argument clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including cause-and-effect clauses with “as” and “since,” and the meaning is usually recoverable. Some sentence forms are controlled, such as “As the population of the rural areas decreases, the vast land on the countryside remains unused.” However, there are some errors in agreement, tense, articles and sentence construction. For example, “the reasons which diverts” should have a plural verb, and “When I was at university, I have heard” mixes past-time reference with the present perfect. The example also shifts between “they arrive” and “they got enrolled.” Review tense consistency in narratives, subject–verb agreement and article use, and proofread punctuation after introductory clauses. Greater accuracy across these structures would make the argument easier to follow.

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