Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-13

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 5.5)

A considerable number of people are now interested to start a business than to do a 9 to 5 job, because they are started to think that they should use their strength for themselves rather than to prosper somebody else's business. Although working together in a family business has several advantages but an entire family working for the same business has some disadvantages too.

In contemporary society where finding a job is very difficult individuals are now more interested towards their family businesses. In this way, a person does not have to wait to complete his degree, then apply for job, after that wait for an interview call and lastly it is not guarantee that he will get a job with handsome salary. On the other hand if an individual has a reputable family business he does not need to get through this whole process moreover he can join the business anytime even prior to complete his degree and has experience by which he is able to handle the business in a very young age.

In contrast, if all the members of the family involve in just one business than in the long run it will be difficult for a business to bear expense of entire family. Moreover the increase in number of family members is directly proportional to increase in number of share in a business which means after some time there might be a dispute for share in a business.

From my perspective, it is good to work together in a family business in addition to this they should also take measures to expand the business. One more reason is this, in business some days are good and some days are bad. For instance, sometimes may be you receive profit more than your expectation while sometimes you may bear a lose, so lose in a business is the lose of entire family. To minimize this it is advisable that the business must be divided so that the entire family must not suffer.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of family businesses, presenting a clear position. The introduction sets up the discussion, and body paragraphs explore ideas such as bypassing the stressful job-hunting process and gaining early experience, weighed against potential financial burdens and family disputes over business shares. However, some arguments are slightly underdeveloped or rely on generalisations, particularly in the conclusion where the suggestion to divide the business is introduced somewhat abruptly. Overall, the prompt is covered well, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0 range, though deeper exploration of examples would elevate the score further.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into distinct paragraphs with an overall logical arrangement. The student uses basic cohesive devices and transition signals such as 'On the other hand', 'In contrast', and 'For instance' to guide the reader through the arguments. However, referencing is sometimes unclear, and cohesive devices can feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Paragraphing is present and generally appropriate, separating the introduction, advantages, disadvantages, and conclusion. To reach a higher band, the transitions between ideas need to be more seamless and logical progression could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common phrases such as 'contemporary society', 'directly proportional', and 'reputable family business'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as saying 'interested to start' instead of 'interested in starting', and 'prior to complete' instead of 'prior to completing'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical errors prevent the vocabulary from achieving a higher rating. Communication is rarely impeded, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as 'because they are started to think' instead of 'because they have started to think' and 'lose in a business is the lose' where 'lose' is incorrectly used instead of 'loss'. Punctuation is also lacking in places, leading to run-on sentences. While complex structures are attempted, frequent errors in verb forms and word classes mean that simpler structures tend to be more accurate.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.