Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-07-26

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 6.0)

one of the main reasons people prefer self -emplyoyment is the freedom it offers.they can decide their own working hours and choose the projects they want to undertake in addition,many people believe they can earn a higher income by running their own business.the growth of online platforms has also made easier to start a business with relatively low investment.

however,being self-employed also has several drawbacks,unlike employees,self-emplyoed people do not receive a regular salary.which can lead to financial uncertainity.they are also responsible for managing every aspect of their business,including marketing,accounting,and customer service.

as a result they often work longer hours and experience greater stress than company employees.

although,self employment provides greater independence and potential for higher earnings.it also involves financial risk and increased responsibility.

therfore,individuals should carefully consider both the advantages and diadvantages before choosing this career path.

in conclusion,people are increasingly choosing self-employment because it offers freedom,flexibility and the possibility of earning a higher income.

nevertheless,it also comes with financial uncertainity greater responsibility and increased stress .

in some cases, the corporate jobs like in a comapny is more beneficial cause there provides health insurance pf's and some trips in types of holidays from the company itself..and can give treats and provides meals like lunch or snacks at office or company.

on the other hand it comes with so much work load and deadlines for the employees it increases stress and depression in individuals effecting they performance in company.

hence,both self-employment and employment in company have both there merits and demerits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for self-employment and the potential disadvantages. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the first half provides clear reasons like flexibility and income potential, the second half introduces a new, somewhat disjointed section comparing corporate jobs to self-employment. This creates a repetitive structure rather than a cohesive argument. The ideas are relevant but lack depth; for instance, the mention of 'financial uncertainty' is a good point, but it could be expanded with more specific examples or consequences. To reach a higher band, ensure that all points are integrated into a unified argument rather than listing them in separate, disconnected blocks.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is disrupted by the addition of the final two paragraphs, which seem to restart the discussion rather than conclude it. Cohesive devices are present (e.g., 'however', 'as a result', 'on the other hand'), but they are sometimes used mechanically or incorrectly, such as starting a sentence with 'although' followed by a fragment. The paragraphing is inconsistent, with some very short paragraphs that break the flow of the argument. Improving the transition between ideas and ensuring that each paragraph serves a distinct purpose in the overall structure would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express basic ideas clearly. There are attempts at topic-specific vocabulary such as 'financial uncertainty', 'investment', and 'flexibility'. However, there are several spelling errors (e.g., 'emplyoyment', 'uncertainity', 'therfore', 'comapny') and some awkward phrasing like 'there provides health insurance'. The range is somewhat limited, relying on repetitive structures and common words. To improve, the student should focus on accurate spelling and expanding their range of collocations to convey ideas with more precision and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after commas and periods, and run-on sentences. Grammatical issues include subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'there provides') and incorrect use of conjunctions (e.g., 'although' used as a sentence starter without a main clause). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are frequent enough to distract the reader. Focusing on basic sentence construction, proper punctuation, and proofreading for common grammatical slips would help improve the overall accuracy.

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