Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-27

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 today's modern era, family business is not much there as compared to previous time. it is also not necessary to work together in a family business. Family business is very good for enhancing the business. In this essay, I will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of working in a family business in the following paragraphs.

The first advantage of working in a family business is shared all the things which are good or bad. For instance, if we are working together in a family business and face any problem related to our work, we can find the solution by discussing everything with our family members. Moreover, another benefit is if our business is on profit so we can easily divide the profit as well as if we have a loss then we can also face this problem together.

On the flip side, the main disadvantage is that, in today's cutting-edge era, people want to live separately from joint families because joint families are very big and the responsibility for everything is increasing, and people do not want to take any stress, even though they are living in their families. Apart from this, sometimes people do not have interest in their family business; they want to do their own things with their own interests.

In conclusion, working in the family business has advantages and disadvantages, as I mentioned in my paragraphs, but in my opinion the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Advantages include gaining profit, sharing problems, and spending time with loved ones in a modern world where people do not have enough time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear opinion in the conclusion that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and you discuss both sides with relevant points: family members can solve problems together and share profits or losses, while differing interests may lead some to prefer independent work. However, the position is less clear in the introduction, which says family businesses are “not much there” and that working together is “not necessary” before announcing a discussion of both sides. The advantages are also more fully explained than the disadvantages, which focus mainly on joint-family living rather than the effects of working in a business together. Develop this side with a specific business-related example and explain more directly why the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion that returns to your position. Linking phrases such as “Moreover,” “On the flip side,” and “In conclusion” help the reader follow the main stages, and the examples generally appear beside the points they support. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some of the clearer progression associated with a stronger performance. However, some links are mechanical or repetitive, and the opening moves from saying family businesses are less common to calling them beneficial without explaining the connection. The disadvantage paragraph also shifts from business work to joint-family responsibilities. Use clearer transitions between these ideas and make each paragraph’s focus consistent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including terms such as “profit,” “loss,” “responsibility,” and “interests.” Some linking expressions and phrases, including “On the flip side” and “cutting-edge era,” show an attempt to vary your language. However, the range is limited and several choices are unnatural or imprecise, which can make the reader pause. For example, “shared all the things which are good or bad” does not clearly express sharing responsibilities or experiences, while “if our business is on profit” is not a natural collocation. “Family business” is also repeated frequently. Aim for precise business-related phrases and vary repeated wording; check collocations as well as the meaning and register of less common expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, using structures such as “if we are working together … and face any problem” and “even though they are living in their families.” The overall meaning is usually understandable, but control is uneven, and errors in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation sometimes make ideas less clear. For example, “The first advantage … is shared all the things” is not a complete, well-formed construction; “if our business is on profit so we can easily divide the profit” combines clauses awkwardly; and the opening “it” begins a sentence without a capital letter. Practise building complete clauses and checking how conditional sentences are joined. More accurate complex sentences would make your reasoning easier to follow.

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