Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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)

Many business, specially SMEs recurit family members to carry out day to day tasks. This creates sense of responsibility and belonging towards the business. Although there are certain advantages when family members work together towards a single objective, in my opinion, the disadvatages outweighs the advantages.

First of all, we as adults start assuming the our next generation will automatically be inducted in our business. Their upbringing and education is entirely focused around it. This may supress any aspirations or interests they have. As a human being, every individual has a say in decision-making about career. For example, a teenager may aspire to become an artist, may be forced to study commerce. So that at a later time, he can contribute positively to business and manage cashflows.

Furthermore, in case of any business conflict, personal relations are destroyed in few minutes. I have personally observed families battling for ownership of business as it was never made clear who is actually the show-runner. Even if business is being run by brothers, irrespective of the investment made, every detail has to be documented regarding ownership and responsibility.

Lastly, a business owner has to take stern actions in case any mishap has happened. If same mistake has been made by a family member, owner might be in a jeopardy. Direct confrontation may lead personal disagreements. In opposition to that arguement, a family member would not be getting equal pay or the pay he deserves, if he is working for his family. This creates unhealthy working environment.

Therefore, in my opinion, people should be hired solely based on their talent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, and the conclusion reinforces this view. You address the topic with relevant points about pressure on younger generations, disputes over ownership, and difficulty taking disciplinary action against relatives. The examples, including a teenager being pushed towards commerce and families fighting over ownership, help explain your reasoning. This range of relevant, extended ideas supports the response well. However, the discussion of advantages is brief: responsibility and belonging are mentioned only in the opening, without being weighed against the disadvantages. Some claims, such as family members not receiving fair pay, also need clearer explanation or an example. Developing this comparison more fully would make the argument more balanced and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, three body paragraphs presenting disadvantages, and a concluding recommendation. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all,” “Furthermore,” and “Lastly” make the progression easy to follow, and each paragraph has a central focus. The position also remains consistent. Some links are less effective or slightly mechanical, however. “In opposition to that argument” introduces the pay point, but its relationship to the preceding point about discipline is not clear; it would work better as a separate, explicitly connected disadvantage. The final recommendation to hire based on talent follows logically, though it could be linked more directly to the earlier discussion. More precise transitions and clearer connections between examples and claims would strengthen cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “ownership,” “decision-making,” “aspirations,” “confrontation,” and “responsibility.” These choices allow you to discuss both family relationships and business management, and the intended meaning is generally clear. There are, however, several spelling errors and inaccurate or unnatural word combinations, such as “recurit,” “disadvatages,” “show-runner,” and “in a jeopardy.” Some expressions are also imprecise: “carry out day to day tasks” is understandable but could be more specific, while “business conflict” could be expressed more naturally as “a dispute within the business.” Improving spelling and collocation, and choosing more precise business vocabulary, would make the argument sound more fluent and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession in the opening and conditional phrasing such as “If same mistake has been made by a family member.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur and occasionally make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “we as adults start assuming the our next generation” has an unnecessary article and an awkward structure; “Their upbringing and education is” has a subject–verb agreement error; and “may lead personal disagreements” is missing a preposition. The sentence beginning “Even if business is being run by brothers” also needs clearer grammatical framing. Work on articles, agreement, and complete sentence patterns, then proofread each sentence for missing words and punctuation.

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