IELTS Writing Task 2 Question
Agree/ Disagree (Opinion) · Urban Planning · 40 min
Relocating big businesses and industries and their workers from urban areas to rural areas could be a good solution for the issues of traffic congestion and housing in major cities. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Write at least 250 words.
Score Breakdown
IELTS Writing Band Scores (1–9)
Summary: The essay effectively addresses the task, providing a balanced discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of relocating businesses to rural areas. It is well-organized, uses a wide range of vocabulary and grammar accurately, and meets the word count requirement. Minor improvements could enhance clarity and precision.
Now write your own — and see how your verdict holds up.
Submit your Urban Planning essay and receive AI scores across Task Response, Coherence, Lexical Resource, and Grammar — plus a Band 9 model answer for your exact question.
Many major cities around the world are struggling with severe traffic congestion and housing shortages. Some people believe that relocating large businesses, industries, and their employees from urban centres to rural areas could effectively address these problems. While this approach may help to some extent, I partly disagree that it is a complete or practical solution because it could create new economic and social challenges.
On the one hand, moving companies and factories to rural regions could reduce population pressure in large cities. Traffic congestion is often caused by the concentration of workplaces in urban centres, forcing millions of people to commute daily. If businesses were more evenly distributed across a country, fewer workers would need to travel into cities, which could significantly reduce traffic jams and overcrowded public transport systems. In addition, relocating industries would lower the demand for housing in metropolitan areas, potentially making accommodation more affordable for urban residents. Rural regions could also benefit economically from new employment opportunities, infrastructure development, and increased investment.
On the other hand, transferring businesses to rural areas may not be as beneficial as it appears. First, many industries rely heavily on urban infrastructure, including transport networks, skilled labour, and access to suppliers and customers. Relocation could reduce efficiency and increase operational costs. Second, rural areas may not be equipped to handle sudden population growth. Problems such as environmental damage, rising living costs, and pressure on local services could emerge in smaller communities. Furthermore, many employees may be unwilling to move away from cities because of better educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and lifestyle opportunities available there.
Instead of large-scale relocation, governments could focus on improving urban planning and public transport systems. Encouraging remote work, investing in affordable housing projects, and developing satellite towns around major cities may provide more balanced and sustainable solutions without disrupting businesses and workers.
In conclusion, although relocating industries and employees to rural areas could partially ease urban traffic and housing problems, I believe it is not a comprehensive solution. A combination of improved infrastructure, decentralised development, and modern working practices would likely be more effective in addressing the challenges faced by major cities.
AI Feedback Report Details
Spelling · Grammar · Vocabulary · Criteria Analysis
Ready to practise? Get instant AI feedback on your verdict.
Submit your Urban Planning essay and receive AI scores across all four IELTS criteria — with specific feedback on whether your solutions are specific, realistic, and matched to your problems.
Detailed Criteria Feedback
AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion