Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

The reason why many people nowadays choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or organisation, is because it creates a more flexible working environment, and also allows people to pursue their own interests. Companies and organisations often create strict schedules with little to no breaks for workers to spend with their families. On the other hand, when people are self-employed, they can decide when and how long they want to work, and who they want to work with. This creates a malleable schedule for people to take breaks, and use their time doing things that are worthwhile. Additionally, with more time on hand, people can try other professions that they find interest in, and expand their knowledge and skills. Furthermore, being self-employed allows people to find work all across the globe, meaning people can travel the world as a part of their job. However, being self-employed also brings disadvantages, such as not having a stable job or income. While people can choose who to work for, it is possible that they will not always be accepted as a candidate. In this way, self-employed workers may struggle finding a stable source of income, and therefore will find difficulties in supporting themselves and their families. In conclusion, despite some disadvantages, a majority of people are self-employed rather than working for a company or organisation nowadays because they have the freedom of choice regarding many things, and also because they can travel the world and pursue their own interests.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for choosing self-employment and the potential disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, focusing on flexibility, personal interests, and the lack of income stability. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'traveling the world' as a part of self-employment is a broad generalization that lacks specific supporting detail or a concrete example. To reach a higher band, the arguments should be more thoroughly extended with specific illustrations or deeper analysis of the implications of these choices. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, maintaining a clear position throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'However' are used to guide the reader through the arguments. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced; the first body paragraph is quite dense, covering multiple points, while the second is relatively brief. The use of referencing is generally accurate, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Overall, the essay is easy to follow and the logical flow is maintained throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'malleable schedule' and 'worthwhile'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and some word choices are repetitive or slightly imprecise, such as 'find work' or 'find difficulties'. To improve, the student should aim for more sophisticated collocations and a wider variety of topic-specific terminology related to employment and economics. The spelling is accurate throughout the text, and there are no errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, and the majority of sentences are error-free. However, the range of complex structures is somewhat restricted. For example, the sentence 'In this way, self-employed workers may struggle finding a stable source of income, and therefore will find difficulties in supporting themselves and their families' is grammatically sound but could be more varied. Punctuation is generally accurate, and errors are rare and do not interfere with the clarity of the message. To achieve a higher score, the student should incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical forms.

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