Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-13

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 6.5)

Presently, the number of people choose to be self-employed instead of working for corporations or organisations. This is mainly because of job insecurity, the wish for creative control, and the rise of the internet and AI in the market. The disadvantages are unstable income and personal pressure.

There are several reasons why individuals in most of the countries wants to be self-employed. Working for a company does not give you job security, which most of the public look out for, and when businesses or a company's economy declines, they lay off their employees, and AI is also affecting people's jobs nowadays. Self-employment lets people turn their passion into a career, and people can set up their businesses and organisations however they want. For example, if a person is interested in cooking, they can open their own small cafe or restaurant and make their own decisions by themselves instead of following a manager's orders.

Nevertheless, being self-employed also comes with real disadvantages. The most important is financial instability. Income can change greatly from month to month, and there will be times when a person is unable to make a profit and is going at a loss.

Another drawback is the personal pressure involved. Business owners are responsible for everything, including finding customers, paying taxes and managing accounts, so they often work long hours and find it hard to relax; working alone can also feel isolating.

In conclusion, people choose self-employment for security, independence and online opportunities, but they must accept an uncertain income, a lack of benefits and a heavy workload.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both questions and maintains a clear focus: it explains motivations such as job insecurity, creative independence and technological change, then discusses financial instability and personal pressure. The café example helps illustrate how self-employment can allow someone to pursue an interest and make independent decisions. The disadvantages are also relevant, with practical responsibilities such as finding customers, paying taxes and managing accounts. However, some points are asserted more than explained: the link between employment insecurity and choosing self-employment could be clarified, and the reference to online opportunities in the conclusion is not developed in the body. The conclusion also introduces a lack of benefits without explaining it earlier. Developing these connections and examples would make the response more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear four-part structure, with an introduction, a paragraph explaining reasons, a paragraph on financial drawbacks, and a further paragraph on personal pressure before the conclusion. The progression from causes to disadvantages is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “For example,” “Nevertheless,” and “Another drawback” guide the reader effectively. Paragraphing is appropriate, and the conclusion returns to the main themes. Some connections could be more precise: the opening lists the internet and AI, but the body mainly discusses AI and does not explain the internet’s role, while the conclusion refers to “online opportunities” without prior development. The long sentence beginning “Working for a company does not give you job security” also combines several related claims; separating and linking them more carefully would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for explaining the topic, and the response uses relevant terms such as “job insecurity,” “creative control,” “financial instability,” “personal pressure,” and “isolating.” These choices help communicate both the attractions and costs of self-employment. There are also some imprecise or unnatural expressions, including “the number of people choose,” “the public look out for,” and “a company's economy declines.” “Going at a loss” is understandable but less natural in this context, and “make their own decisions by themselves” is repetitive. The range is sufficient, but greater accuracy in collocation and more precise wording would strengthen the response. Aim to use established phrases such as “seek job security,” “the company’s financial position deteriorates,” and “operate at a loss.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including a conditional example (“if a person is interested in cooking, they can open…”) and a sentence explaining owners’ responsibilities. Meaning remains clear throughout, and several sentences are controlled accurately. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In the opening, “the number of people choose” needs a relative clause or a different construction, such as “the number of people who choose.” In “individuals … wants,” the plural subject requires “want,” and “the public look out for” has an unclear grammatical relationship between the subject and verb. The sentence beginning “Working for a company…” also runs together several clauses, making its structure difficult to manage. More consistent subject–verb agreement and clearer clause boundaries would improve accuracy while preserving the range of structures.

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