Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-09

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Write about the following topic:

In many countries, family members work together in their family business.

Do you think family businesses have more advantages than disadvantages?

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

Student answer (Band 7.0)

In multiple nations, families run both small or large organizations together and even employ different levels of generations within the businesses. It provides considerable benefits such as loyality and work flexibility; however, it may also result in misuse of freedom and unnecessary friction in family members. In my view, the overall benefits outweigh the potential downsides, as we shall discuss.

On the one hand, working in family business offers complete loyality by the family members. This is because, siblings and cousins are related by blood and likely many not cheat one another. Moreover, family enterprises offer greater work flexibility, as families may cooperate and cover each other in case of any event when one has to take leave. For instance, when working for a family bakery, an employee can come late or leave early to manage other domestic responsibilities. Thus, being employed in family businesses is more convenient.

On the other hand, such work arrangements may lead to misuse of freedom by some family members, which can create friction among the families. For example, if one brother works harder and the other shirks his job responsibilities, it is unfare to share the profits equally. Therefore, if such situations arise, working in shared business becomes stressful and eventually leads to bitterness in the relations. As a result, such companies may fail if not managed wisely.

In conclusion, although having a joint company can offer loyalty and flexible work schedules, it may also affect familial relations negatively and create avenues of misuse and misunderstandings. However, if such situations are managed maturely with clear communication among the family members, the long term benefits of working in family business are far more substantial than any drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position that the benefits of family businesses outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and logically developed, with clear arguments for both sides. For instance, the discussion on loyalty and flexibility provides a solid foundation for the advantages, while the mention of potential friction due to unequal effort effectively covers the disadvantages. The conclusion reinforces the initial stance. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more nuanced examples or explore the long-term implications of these dynamics in greater depth, as some points are slightly generalized.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is logical. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', 'Thus', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, the transition between some sentences could be smoother, and there is a slight mechanical feel to the use of some linking words. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different arguments, which contributes to the overall clarity of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. The student uses terms like 'misuse of freedom', 'unnecessary friction', and 'substantial' effectively. However, there are some spelling errors, such as 'loyality' (loyalty) and 'unfare' (unfair), which slightly detract from the overall quality. While the range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly, the use of less common lexical items is somewhat limited. Improving spelling accuracy and incorporating more sophisticated collocations would help elevate the score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and easy to follow, and the grammar is generally accurate. There are some minor errors, such as 'likely many not cheat' (likely may not cheat) and 'in family members' (among family members). These errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, the student should aim for a wider variety of complex structures and ensure greater precision in preposition usage and verb forms. The punctuation is generally correct, supporting the overall readability of the text.

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