Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-03
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)
In many countries, it is very common that family members work together in a family business. This essay will investigate the subject of family business, outlining key arguments, reflecting on possible consequences, and offering a justified conclusion.
On the one hand, there are many benefits of family business. The first advantage is trust. Family members trust each other more than outsider. So there is a less chance of cheating and fruad. For example, a father trust his son with money and important decisions. Secondly, every in the family works hard for the business because they know it is their own future. Moreover, communication is easy they can openly talk at their home.
On the other hand, there are some disadvantage as well. One major problem is family problems come in their business. If two brothers have a fight at home, it also affect their work. Another problem is family members are not very skilled, but they still get an important position just because they are family members. This can be unfair for other hardworking employees. For instance if a unqualified son become a maneger other workers demotivated.
In conclusion, the matter at hand is multifaceted and demands thoughtful evaluation. A well- balanced approach is crucial to achieving the most reasonable and sustainable outcome. Moreover, only through careful consideration can meaningful progress be made.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response addresses the prompt minimally, as it falls short of the required 250-word minimum, containing only 223 words. While the essay attempts to cover both advantages and disadvantages of family businesses, the ideas remain limited and under-developed. For instance, the points regarding trust and communication are raised briefly without sufficient elaboration or concrete, well-developed examples. The position presented throughout the essay is basic, and the conclusion relies heavily on vague, templated phrases rather than summarizing the specific arguments discussed in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher level, the writer must expand the response to meet the minimum word count and provide fully extended, well-supported arguments for every part of the task prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides, and a conclusion, fitting the standards for this level. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct ideas, such as moving from benefits to drawbacks. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. The transitions between sentences feel abrupt due to simple cohesive devices like 'Secondly' and 'Moreover', and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'the matter at hand' in the conclusion. To progress further, the writer needs to employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure smoother logical transitions between sentences and paragraphs without relying on formulaic expressions.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, providing a minimally sufficient range to discuss family businesses with words like 'multifaceted', 'sustainable', and 'consequences'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors that reflect this band level, such as 'fruad' instead of 'fraud', 'maneger' instead of 'manager', and awkward phrasing like 'unqualified son become a maneger other workers demotivated'. The writer attempts less common vocabulary, but these inaccuracies show a restricted control over word forms and spelling. To achieve a higher score, the student should expand their lexical repertoire, pay closer attention to spelling, and use less common lexical items with greater precision and awareness of collocation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay displays a mix of simple and some attempt at complex sentence forms, featuring basic structures like 'The first advantage is trust' alongside compound sentences. There are several grammar errors in articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'there are a less chance', 'every in the family works', and 'if a unqualified son become'. Punctuation is also occasionally lacking, as seen in missing commas in conditional structures ('For instance if a unqualified son...'). Although these errors do not severely impede overall communication, they occur regularly. To move up, the writer must demonstrate better control over complex structures and produce more error-free sentences across the entire text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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