Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-12
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 5.0)
Family businesses are very common in many countries such as India. i believe that business with your close one or relatives have more advantages than disadvantages.
on the first hand,Business operated by family members can improve trust with each other, better communication and teamwork. to paraphrase this,family members knows everything about each other and that is beneficial for company trust and communication.for example, My father is running his business in india with his 7 brothers partners and by trust the company is more valuable than other businesses. family members are more committed to business.
additionally, sometimes it is also disadvantages because family arguments can affect the business. Some family members may get positions because of relationships rather than skills.For instance,Two brothers may disagree about spending money or making important business decisions, which can affect the company’s progress.arguments at home can create problems at work.
on my perspective, family owned businesses are beneficial for people because profit margins are stays in family.for example,most of the people who run businesses in family, their profit margins stays in family and also can gain more trust and build relationships with each family members.
to conclude,both views has pros and cons but as per my experience and thoughts, family owned businesses have more advantages than disadvantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of family businesses and takes a clear position that advantages outweigh disadvantages. Ideas are presented, such as trust, communication, and potential conflicts over skills versus relationships. However, several points are under-developed and lack extension. Furthermore, the response suffers from a significant length penalty: the student's text contains only 211 words, which fails to meet the minimum requirement of 250 words. This under-length impacts the overall task response and prevents the score from reaching higher bands. To improve, the student needs to expand on their examples and ensure they meet the word count threshold fully.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is divided into paragraphs, showing a basic attempt at logical organisation, with an introduction, body paragraphs covering advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. However, paragraphing and referencing are sometimes faulty, and transitional phrases are mechanical or misused, such as 'on the first hand' and 'on my perspective'. Cohesive devices are repetitive and occasionally inadequate. For example, 'to paraphrase this' is used inappropriately to introduce a restatement rather than a paraphrase. While there is an overall discernible structure, the progression of ideas lacks fluidity and sophisticated links, placing it firmly in the mid-range descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical resource is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student uses basic vocabulary such as 'business', 'family members', 'trust', and 'problems'. There are noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'business with your close one', 'profit margins are stays', and '8 brothers partners'. Attempts at less common vocabulary are sparse, and repetition of key terms like 'family members' and 'business' is frequent. Spelling and morphological errors, such as lowercase 'i' at the beginning of sentences and missing plural markers, also detract from the lexical score, though communication is generally maintained.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures. Simple sentences dominate, and attempts at complex structures are often faulty or awkward, such as 'most of the people who run businesses in family, their profit margins stays in family'. There are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('profit margins stays', 'both views has'), capitalization errors (starting sentences with lowercase letters like 'i', 'on the first hand', 'additionally'), and missing articles. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they cause difficulty for the reader and demonstrate weak control over complex grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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