Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-03

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's a situation arising around the globe in various countries, where rural people are migrating from countryside to cities causing lesser population in rural areas. According to my perspective, it is a negative development because it impacts on several things in cities resulting in disturbances.

This paragraph will state the darkside of rural people moving to cities. The main argument is that it causes the case of over-population and it impacts on every single individual. Due to this, not everyone gets the chance of being employed due to limited opportunities and large quantity of crowd fighting for it. For instance, in country like India, many graduates compete for a job and cannot secure it because of immense competition. Furthermore, this results in unemployment and low salaries.

Another significant reason for the negative development is family plannings. Nowadays, due to rapid rise in population, families do not think properly during family plannings. To examplify, in India, families are set with the mindset of having more than 1-2 child. Because of this, the situtation of over population gradually worsens affecting the nation. Therefore, it is a detrimental outcome.

To conclude, although it has some good reasons like getting chances of being employed or one can experience a city life, however, there are more thoughts which one can not ignore to save the nation from getting densely populated. So, it leans more towards a negative development rather than positive by rural people moving out from countryside and shifiting in cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you consider rural-to-urban migration negative, and you give relevant points about competition for jobs, unemployment and pressure from population growth. However, the response only partially develops the task. The discussion focuses almost entirely on problems in cities, while the effects of a declining rural population are not explained; the claim about family planning is also not clearly connected to migration. The brief concession about employment and city life is difficult to follow and is not developed. The response is 3 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited development. To strengthen the argument, explain how migration affects rural services, farming or local economies, and support each point with a clear example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Ideas are generally grouped by topic, and signposts such as “Furthermore,” “To conclude” and “Therefore” help show relationships. However, some linking is mechanical, and the progression between ideas is not always clear. For example, the paragraph about family planning moves from migration to population growth without explaining the connection, while the conclusion introduces positive effects that were not discussed in the body. The phrase “This paragraph will state” also sounds like a plan rather than a natural transition. Use clearer links that explain cause and effect, and ensure the conclusion summarises the arguments already established.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “over-population,” “unemployment,” “limited opportunities” and “detrimental outcome,” so the main ideas are understandable. There are also attempts at more formal wording, such as “According to my perspective.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “lesser population,” “large quantity of crowd,” “family plannings” and “set with the mindset” do not express the intended ideas naturally. Spelling errors such as “examplify,” “situtation” and “shifiting” are noticeable. Build a more reliable range of collocations for migration and its effects, and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “families … having more than 1-2 child” and a cause-and-effect structure beginning “Due to this.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity and control. For example, “in country like India” needs an article and plural agreement, while “more than 1-2 child” has an incorrect plural form. The final sentence beginning “although” is not well controlled: it combines “although” with “however” and leaves the contrast awkwardly structured. Practise accurate articles, plurals and sentence boundaries, and simplify complex sentences when you are unsure how to connect their clauses.

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