Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-14

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

It is sometimes possible to pay somebody to do things you don't want to do, or don't have time to do, for example, household chores or looking after children.

Is this a good way of providing work for others?

Should people do these things themselves?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

On many occasions, people hire workers to help them carry out various activities such as cleaning the house, cooking, and even taking care of children. Paying staffs to handle such tasks is a great way to provide job opportunities to such workers. Although employing an outsider to handle household affairs can be risky at times, but there are situations that require that such chores must be outsourced.

On the one hand, hiring workers to carry out household duties can be very rewarding to the staffs. It provides them with a means of livelihood. Not only does the person earns a stable source of income but, basic necessities of life like food and shelter is certain. For instance, some nannies live in the same house with their employees. They enjoy certain privileges such as eating the same meal with the family that employed them and also having not to worry about house rent because they are

live-in nannies.

On the other hand, there are certain drawbacks to hiring helps to take charge of household chores. It can be dangerous to invite strangers to your house. They can plot an attack or steal from you. There are stories where nannies have connived with kidnappers and the children were kidnapped on their way back from school. However, If proper background check is done before employing house hold staffs, it can mitigate the dangers. Despite the risk attached to having people work for you at your home, there are people who can't afford live without nannies and helps and as such they should be allowed to do so. If one has the means to pay workers to carry out various functions for them at home, they can go ahead to pay people to assist them do these things.

Overall, hiring helps to assist in household duties is a good way to provide means of livelihood for people. Individuals who can't carry out certain functions at home due to some reasons can employ people to do these chores for them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: you explain that employing household workers can provide a livelihood, and you acknowledge that people may need help with domestic tasks. Your position is generally supportive, especially in the conclusion, and the examples about live-in nannies and possible security risks are relevant. However, the discussion of whether people should do these tasks themselves is less fully developed: you mainly say that those who can afford help should hire workers, without weighing the benefits of doing chores personally or clarifying when self-reliance might be preferable. The risks are also introduced but not explored in much detail. Develop both sides more evenly and explain how your examples support your overall judgement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a concluding summary. The ideas generally progress from employment benefits to risks and then to your position, so the reader can follow the argument. This meets the expected level of coherent organisation. However, some links are mechanical, and the second body paragraph combines several points—security concerns, background checks, affordability, and personal choice—without clearly separating their roles. The contrast between the two sides is also not fully developed. Use transitions that show the precise relationship between ideas, and organise each paragraph around one main point with supporting explanation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “means of livelihood,” “stable source of income,” “background check,” and “household duties.” These expressions help communicate the main ideas, and the examples are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “live-in nannies” and “plot an attack.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive: “paying staffs,” “hiring helps,” and “house hold staffs” are not natural forms, while “carry out” and “household” recur frequently. Aim for more precise, natural phrasing and check countable forms and spelling. A broader set of terms for domestic work and employment would also make the discussion more flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including the inversion in “Not only does the person…” and a conditional sentence beginning “If proper background check is done…”. Meaning is usually clear, but some errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction remain. For example, “the person earns” should be “the person earn” after “does,” and “food and shelter is certain” needs plural agreement. The phrase “they are live-in nannies” is also incorrectly formed in context, and “Although … but” creates a faulty clause structure. Review subject–verb agreement and article use, and avoid joining “although” with “but.” More accurate control of these patterns would strengthen your varied sentence forms.

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