Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 recent years, there is an increasing trend in people to work in their family business together. I think working in family business has more benefits than drawbacks.

Nevertheless, this trend also presents certain challanges like people working in family business does not get real life exposure, because they do not go through the hiring process, so they have no idea how interviews work. For example when someone go for interview they study and prepare for it, whereas in family business there is no process like this. However, working for family can also be stressfull as there is always parental pressure and to make sure everything is been done according to them.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of working in family firm is that working hours are flexible, because family members do not treat you as employees and, its is easier to devide the work load between the family. For Example, family understands their members schedules and, it is quite easy to have day off in family firm. Moreover, there are other benefits like, family members does not have to go through interviews and other hiring process. For example, in outside jobs there is a processing system which needs to be followed and that is why it is very easy to get employed in family business.

In the conclusion, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and family businees is a very easy way to get a job wheras, in todays world its is very hard to find good paying jobs. Working in family business provides you with much more benefits as comapre to normal jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction—family businesses have more benefits—and you return to this view in the conclusion. You address both sides by mentioning limited exposure to recruitment and parental pressure as drawbacks, then flexibility and easier access to work as advantages. These points are relevant, but some are not fully explained: the interview example shows a difference in hiring, but does not clearly establish why this is a disadvantage, while the claim that family members can divide workloads needs a more specific illustration. Develop the comparison by explaining the practical effects of each point and support it with a concrete example. This would make the response more fully developed across the task.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on disadvantages, a paragraph on advantages, and a conclusion. The contrast between the two body paragraphs helps the reader follow your position. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical: several sentences begin with “For example” or “Moreover,” and the conclusion repeats the idea that family businesses are easier to enter without drawing together the main reasons. Some links are also awkward, such as “However” introducing stress after the point about interview exposure. Use a wider range of linking methods, make the relationship between each example and its claim explicit, and ensure each paragraph develops one central idea in a clear sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “hiring process,” “parental pressure,” “flexible,” and “work load,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision: “real life exposure” is vague, “processing system” is not a natural phrase for recruitment, and “easy to get employed” is awkward. There are also misspellings such as “challanges,” “stressfull,” and “businees.” Aim to use more precise topic language and check spelling carefully. For instance, distinguish between gaining workplace experience and learning about recruitment, rather than describing both as “exposure.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “whereas,” and “as,” and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, control is inconsistent, particularly with subject–verb agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries. Examples include “people … does not get,” “someone go,” and “family members does not have to”; these subjects require matching plural or singular verb forms. “Everything is been done” also has an incorrect verb construction, and commas are often placed awkwardly, as in “and, its is easier.” Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb, then review punctuation. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to read.

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.