Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-07-24

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 7.5)

why? jobs cannot be reliable.. AI taking over jobs=uncertainty= can be fired anytime

disadvantages: 1) can reduce social connections 2) starting ur own business can require money=initial investment

There is an increasing shift towards self-employment rather than working for companies. The primary reason for this can be attributed to advancements in technology. The disadvanatges of being self-employed include reduced social connections and huge initial investments.

The reason for this trend is that working for a corporation is not a reliable and permanent source of employment. AI has transformed industries and is being adopted by many enterprises. Companies are shifting towards automation primarily because training Artificial Intelligence systems provide better results as these machines are more efficient and do not have human limitations. This means that the work previously done by 10 employers can now be done by 1 machine. Companies can fire its employees at any instance which leaves people at a risk of unemployment. This is why people are leaning towards self-employment as it eliminates this risk.

Choosing to be self-employed comes with many disadvantages including a reduced social circle. When individuals work in a company, they usually work among multiple other people. People can make workplace friends and increase their social connections. Although individuals who run their own businesses can also have a wide social circle, it usually lacks an interactive office community environment. It is very common for coworkers to be friends even outside the workplace, which is not the case for self-employed people.

Additionally, independant workers have to heavily invest in learning new skills or money in order to have a stable source of incomes. People who start their own businesses need large sums of money for marketing, hiring, supplies and equipment. On the other hand, a freelancers would need to learn and master a skill through paid courses or professional training. This requires a lot of financial input to be able to stand out in a competitive market, which can be a burden on people who want to be self-employed. For example, e-commerce training in Pakistan costs around 1 Lac pakistani rupees. This can be a hurdle for people from average income households who wish to be entrepreneurs.

It can be concluded that surety of a stable income is the driving force behind the shift towards self-employment. However, it also poses certain drawbacks such as lack of social interactions and the need for huge financial investments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing clear reasons for the rise in self-employment and identifying relevant disadvantages. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the discussion on AI and job insecurity. The inclusion of a specific example regarding e-commerce training in Pakistan adds depth to the argument. The position is clear throughout, and the structure follows a logical progression. To reach a higher band, ensure that the introduction does not include a bulleted list of points, as this is not appropriate for formal essay writing. Overall, the task is fully addressed with relevant and supported ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two main aspects of the prompt. Cohesive devices such as 'The primary reason for this', 'Additionally', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader through the argument. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Referencing is clear, and the progression of ideas is consistent throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for some precision. You use topic-specific terms like 'automation', 'enterprises', 'entrepreneurs', and 'financial input' effectively. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'independant' (spelling) and '1 Lac pakistani rupees' (which is informal and specific to a regional context). To improve, try to incorporate more idiomatic collocations and avoid informal phrasing. The range is adequate to convey complex ideas clearly without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show control over complex sentences, such as 'Although individuals who run their own businesses can also have a wide social circle, it usually lacks an interactive office community environment.' There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'Companies can fire its employees' (should be 'their') and 'a freelancers' (should be 'a freelancer'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede the overall meaning. The punctuation is generally accurate.

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