Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-04

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 5.0)

Cities were always more developed and civilized than countrysides. It is claimed that, people are now migrating from villages to cities as a result the population of the rural areas is reducing. I think it is more of a adverse development because people are now moving away from nature and started connecting to the luxuries of modern world.

Firstly, people are moving to bigger cities for enjoying better facilities that lack in villages. But they do not think about harsh realities like traffic and pollution. In villages there is a peaceful environment. In villages, people use to live healthy life because they enhale fresh air free from smoke of vehicles. People get offended by the travelling issues in countrysides but they have to overview the chalanges they have to face in cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You state a clear view that rural-to-urban migration is negative, and you give relevant reasons, including pollution, traffic and the healthier environment in villages. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: the reasons are briefly asserted rather than explained or supported with examples, and there is no developed discussion of how a shrinking rural population affects countryside communities. The response also stops after one short paragraph, leaving the argument incomplete. It is 132 words, below the required 250, which substantially limits how fully you can develop your position. To strengthen the response, explain the consequences of migration for both rural and urban areas and add a specific example to support your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic line of argument: you introduce your negative position and then give reasons related to city conditions and village life. The opening phrase “Firstly” also signals that a supporting point is beginning. However, the ideas are not developed into a clear overall progression, and the response ends without a concluding paragraph. Repetition of “In villages” makes the paragraph feel list-like, while the relationship between “better facilities” and the disadvantages of city life could be made clearer. Use separate paragraphs for your position, supporting reasons and conclusion, and connect each point with clear references or transitions. This would build on the basic organisation already present and make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “migrating,” “rural areas,” “pollution,” “facilities” and “peaceful environment.” These choices make your main meaning understandable. However, the range is limited, and several word-choice, collocation and spelling problems reduce precision: “more of a adverse development” is awkward, “civilized than countrysides” is unnatural, and “chalanges” and “enhale” are misspelled. “Connecting to the luxuries of modern world” is also unclear as a description of migration. Aim for accurate topic-specific phrases such as “access to employment and public services” or “pressure on urban infrastructure,” and check spelling and natural word combinations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, for example, “I think it is more of a adverse development because…” and “people are moving to bigger cities for enjoying better facilities that lack in villages.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur often enough to make some sentences awkward. In “It is claimed that, people are now migrating… as a result the population… is reducing,” punctuation and clause linking are faulty; use a full stop or a suitable conjunction after “as a result.” Other examples include “Cities were always more developed” and “people use to live healthy life,” where tense and article choices need attention. Practise accurate complex sentences and review articles, verb forms and punctuation.

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