Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or organisation.

Why might this be the case?

What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

As we know job plays an integral role in human life to fulfill there requirements. One of the most conspicuous trends in today's world is that many people like to be self-employed rather than to work in a comapany or organisation. This essay will explain its reasons why might this be the case and what could be the demerits of being self-employed in the following paragraphs, supported with the relevant examples.

There are a plethora of factors that affect on it. First and foremost, nowadays youngsters don't want to work in pressure of boss because they think it affect on their mental health. For instance, recently many employers regine from their job because in strict environment they feel headcahe, depression, and so on. Another important reason is that they like to earn more money because company or organisation does not provide them a enoungh salary as per their performance. Also many people want to learn new things from their work like communication skill, decision-making power, and many more.

On the other hand, being self-employed has a few disadvantages. The most crucial view is that many people face financial problems because of their less productive work. For example, Mr. Nikhil open a cafe in my hometown but he not focus on their food, opening time, customers reviews, and so on; so many people avoid to visit this palce. Nonetheless, I believe that self-employment has a few demerits, the significant benefits cannot be ignored such as a improving confidence, experience, and many more.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response addresses both questions: it suggests that people seek independence from a boss, better earnings, and opportunities to develop skills, then identifies financial difficulty as a disadvantage. The café example gives some support, but the reasons are mostly listed rather than explained, and the disadvantage discussion is narrow. The final sentence shifts to benefits instead of developing the disadvantages, so the response does not fully answer the second part. The essay is also 244 words, six words below the required minimum; eight words copied from the prompt were not counted. To strengthen the response, explain how self-employment can offer control or income potential, and develop further drawbacks such as irregular earnings or lack of employee benefits, using relevant examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on reasons, and a paragraph on disadvantages. Signposting such as “First and foremost” and “On the other hand” helps readers follow the broad direction. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven: several reasons are added in sequence without showing how they relate, and the final sentence turns back to benefits rather than concluding the discussion of drawbacks. Some linking phrases, including “Nonetheless,” do not clearly express the relationship between the ideas that follow. Improve cohesion by grouping related points, using clearer references between sentences, and ending with a conclusion that directly summarises the reasons and disadvantages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

There is some useful topic vocabulary, including “self-employed,” “financial problems,” “mental health,” and “decision-making,” and the writer attempts more formal expressions such as “conspicuous trends” and “demerits.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which makes parts of the response awkward: “work in pressure of boss,” “regine from their job,” and “a improving confidence.” Spelling errors such as “comapany,” “headcahe,” and “palce” are also noticeable. Aim for accurate, natural combinations rather than adding formal-sounding phrases. For example, describe working “under pressure from a manager,” and say that a business owner “focuses on food quality and customer feedback.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes both simple statements and attempts at longer sentences, such as the example about the café, but control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and agreement appear in “it affect on their mental health,” “Mr. Nikhil open a cafe,” and “he not focus.” Articles and sentence construction are also problematic in phrases such as “a enoungh salary” and “As we know job plays.” These errors sometimes make the reader pause, although the main ideas can generally be understood. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, past-tense forms when describing a completed example, and article use. Build complex sentences gradually, checking that each clause has a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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