Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-24

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 6.5)

Family businesses have become quite common in a significant number of countries, where family members work together. In my view, it has several advantages, such as fostering trust between family members and providing a roadmap for the youngsters to follow. It also has some disadvantages that can be overlooked in favor of the benefits it offers.

On the one hand, people prefer hiring their relatives for the bigger positions in their companies in order to build a deeper connection with each other. This attitude stems from the fact that CEOs often trust their own people rather than trusting strangers with their business progression. For instance, one cannot trust anonymous people when it comes to entrepreneurship because others can be deceitful and cunning and cannot be trusted. Hence, loyalty and sincerity are the major pillars of running a successful venture in the long run, which naturally runs in a traditional family.

The other reason to hold this stance is that many people want their profits to stay in the family and be passed down through the generations. If one wants the dynasty to last longer, they will choose their own blood to continue the reign, and that's how businesses are often transferred from one generation to another. For example, many successful food chains like KFC have been passed down through different eras, and the majority of workers are still the family members of the owner.

On the other hand, there are a few drawbacks of such practice. It is commonly observed that younger generations usually do not pay heed to the success of their family business. Subsequently, they take their business for granted, which may cause the downfall of any flourishing business. It is, therefore, advised to have a mix of both family and non-family employees to run a business smoothly.

Overall, although some individuals may not be serious about their family business, the advantages of having relatives in a family business far outweigh the disadvantages by becoming more reliable and ensuring a secure future for the coming generations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of family businesses and presents a clear position throughout. The introduction outlines the writer's stance, and body paragraphs develop ideas related to trust, generational continuity, and drawbacks such as younger generations taking the business for granted. For instance, the discussion on trust and keeping profits within the family is well-reasoned with examples, such as referencing long-standing companies. However, the example of KFC is factually inaccurate regarding the majority of workers being family members, which slightly undermines the depth of support. Nevertheless, the main ideas are extended and supported adequately, placing the response comfortably within the Band 7 criteria for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are presented coherently, with a traditional four-paragraph structure that clearly delineates between advantages and disadvantages. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'On the one hand', 'The other reason', and 'Subsequently', to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. While referencing and linking are generally clear, some transitions can feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in their formulaic approach, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Overall, cohesion is managed effectively and supports the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer uses a sufficient range of vocabulary that allows for flexibility and precision in expressing ideas. Less common lexical items such as 'entrepreneurship', 'deceitful', 'generations', and 'flourishing' are integrated successfully. There are some minor lexical inaccuracies or awkward collocations, such as 'bigger positions' instead of 'senior positions' or 'higher-level roles', and referring to a business dynasty as 'the reign'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. The lexical resource demonstrates adequate control and variety to meet the requirements of a Band 6.5 or 7.0, leaning towards the latter due to successful attempts at topic-specific terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses (e.g., 'If one wants the dynasty to last longer, they will choose their own blood to continue the reign...'). There is good control over grammar and punctuation overall, and the majority of sentences are grammatically sound. Minor errors do occur, such as pronoun-antecedent agreement issues ('If one... they') and slight awkwardness in phrasing ('such practice' instead of 'this practice'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication, allowing the response to achieve a solid Band 7.0 for grammatical range and accuracy.

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