Plan this problem and solution essay about society with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
In many countries, young people are leaving villages and small towns to live in big cities, leaving rural areas with fewer people.
What problems does this cause and what solutions can you suggest?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
In many countries, young people are leaving villages and small towns for big cities, leaving rural areas with fewer people. This essay will outline the problems this causes and suggest some solutions.
The first problem is that rural communities age and shrink. With fewer young adults, villages lose workers for farms and local businesses, and elderly residents are left without relatives to care for them. As the population falls, schools, clinics and shops close because they are no longer financially viable, which makes the area even less attractive and encourages further departures. Agricultural production may decline when land is abandoned, threatening food supplies. Cities face problems too, since arriving migrants add to housing shortages, traffic and unemployment, and many end up in poor-quality accommodation.
To address this, governments should make rural life more appealing. Investing in broadband internet would allow people to work remotely or run online businesses from the countryside, while better roads and public transport would connect villages to nearby towns. Incentives such as tax reductions, cheap loans for young farmers and subsidies for small companies could create jobs outside the cities. Improving local education and healthcare is equally important, since families will not remain where services are poor. Another measure is to support the development of medium-sized towns, which can offer opportunities without the crowding of a metropolis. Italy and Spain have offered grants to people willing to move to depopulated villages, and some have succeeded in attracting new residents.
In conclusion, rural depopulation leads to ageing communities, lost services and pressure on cities. Better infrastructure, job creation and quality public services would encourage young people to stay or return.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| rural depopulation | fall in the number of people in the countryside |
| brain drain | loss of educated people to other places |
| job opportunities | chances to find work |
| regional development | improving the economy of less developed areas |
| overcrowded cities | cities with too many people |
| essential services | basic public facilities such as schools and clinics |
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