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)

Economic growth is a boon for contemporary society. Nowadays, In different nations family members work hand in hand in family buisnesses, where stereotypes believe that it offers more benefits as they can make more profits despite of some drawbacks to which I completely agree.

On one hand, without any qualms, Family businesses bring a sense of belonging. which means starting a business with known people is much easier then a jeopardy situation one must go through when tieing a knot with the different cultural oriented people. For instance, language barrier may strikes up between the south eartern and middle-eastern delegents. Family businesses run smoothly since each member is awared with the financial situtation and the background of the family. It offers an incredible amount of profits compared to other business. When family members work in team. Unity is better for uplifting the business. No additional charges deducted for the hiring and paying an hourly wage to the employees. Family business can save that money as a profit.

On the other side of the spectrum, some demerits including the financial burden or hurdles may flop the whole business which means it is hard to manage all at once. Multiple partners would offer multiple support when business need an investment. Family business with single family members would create a daunting situation for all the members. To the pertinent, the times of india states a decline in family businesses a few months ago due to shortage of money.

To the nutshell, family business provide abundant of benefits despite of responsibilites. As members work hand in hand saves a lot of expenditure,but nevertheless it has some demerits but it cannot beat the merits of the family business. Family must think wisely to start and run their own business.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You answer the question directly and maintain a clear view that family businesses have more advantages than disadvantages. The response gives relevant reasons, including trust and belonging, shared knowledge of finances, and reduced staffing costs, while also acknowledging the risk of insufficient investment. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained: for example, the claim that family businesses make “more profits” is not supported with a clear comparison, and the Times of India reference is brief and not connected in detail to the argument. Develop the examples and explain more precisely how each reason affects a business. This would make the discussion more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. The contrast signposts “On one hand” and “On the other side of the spectrum” help readers follow the main direction. Within paragraphs, however, ideas sometimes move abruptly—for instance, the advantages paragraph shifts from belonging and language barriers to profits and hiring costs without clearly linking these points. Some linking phrases are also awkward or mechanical, such as “To the pertinent” and “To the nutshell,” and the conclusion repeats the main claim rather than drawing the discussion together. Group related reasons and use clear references and transitions to show how each point connects.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “sense of belonging,” “financial burden,” “investment,” and “daunting situation,” which helps express both benefits and risks. However, noticeable spelling, word-form, and collocation errors sometimes make the meaning less clear. Examples include “buisnesses,” “awared,” “financial situtation,” and “abundant of benefits”; phrases such as “language barrier may strikes up” and “flop the whole business” are also not natural in this context. Some ambitious expressions, including “tieing a knot” and “to the pertinent,” do not communicate the intended meaning clearly. Prioritise accurate, natural combinations of words, and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a subordinate clause in “since each member is awared with the financial situtation” and a contrast structure in the final paragraph. However, errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries recur and can make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “language barrier may strikes up” has an incorrect verb form, while “As members work hand in hand saves a lot of expenditure” lacks a clear grammatical subject and main-clause structure. Capitalisation and punctuation also need attention, as in “Family businesses bring a sense of belonging. which means…”. Practise building complete sentences with clear subjects and correctly matched verbs, then proofread punctuation.

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