Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-09

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)

Thesedays, family members are working in their own business .There are more prons than cons . This essay will discuss the advantages and the disadvantages in the upcoming paragarphs .

To begin with , there is one disadvantage of family business is that conflict between members. To explain it , there are more chances of conflict for money because one person wants to invest in other business or property but others want to save for the future .Due to this , relationships between family members can be damaged.Therefore , it brings negative impacts on family .

Apart from this , there are various benefits of working in own business .First and foremost ,family members knows weakesses of each other , they can help each other without any hesitation.For example , when a person is working in own business they he can handover his work to other family member because everyone knows their strength and weak points . Moreover, members can cover other work if they take off . It means when one member is not feeling well, then others can do and complete on the same day .Therefore , a lot of advantages of working together in own business .

To conclude , although, there are chances of conflict between family members but also , members can help each other in difficult period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the question by presenting a disadvantage—conflict over how money is used—and several benefits, including mutual support and covering work when someone is unwell. Your examples are relevant, and the opening states that advantages outweigh disadvantages. However, the position is not sustained clearly: the conclusion says “although” conflict exists, but does not explicitly reaffirm that the advantages are greater. The ideas are also limited and under-developed; for instance, the disagreement about investing or saving is introduced but its consequences are not explored in detail, and the benefits are mostly listed rather than explained. The response is 27 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop your reasoning. Extend the explanation and give a specific example to support your overall judgement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on a disadvantage, a paragraph on advantages, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “To begin with,” “Apart from this,” and “To conclude” helps readers follow the main stages. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, with repeated transitions such as “Therefore” and frequent use of “Moreover” or “For example” to connect closely related points. Some references are unclear, particularly “they he can handover his work,” where the subject is difficult to follow. The conclusion also does not clearly connect back to the stated view that advantages outweigh disadvantages. Use fewer formulaic linkers, make pronoun references precise, and build clearer links between each example and the main argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “conflict,” “invest,” “relationships,” “strength,” and “weak points.” Some phrases, such as “negative impacts on family,” also show an attempt to express consequences. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or informal, which can make the reader pause: “prons” should be “pros,” “weakesses” should be “weaknesses,” and “take off” is not the natural phrase for being absent from work. “Working in own business” is also repeated and sounds incomplete. Aim for more precise expressions such as “family-run business,” “take time off,” and “areas of strength and weakness.” Proofread spelling and choose collocations that fit the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences using clauses and connectors, for example, “when one member is not feeling well, then others can do and complete on the same day.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and attempts at more complex sentences are often faulty. Errors include subject–verb agreement in “family members knows,” an incomplete construction in “there is one disadvantage of family business is that,” and the confusing sequence “they he can.” Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “in own business .There.” These errors sometimes make the intended relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Practise forming accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with subordinate clauses; check agreement, articles, and punctuation when editing.

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