Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-07
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)
Today's Generation is choosing to be self-employed, instead of working in a company or an organization for multiple reasons. The main reason is that, nowadays, people choose Independence and peace rather than being a corporate slave. The disadvantage of being self employed is that you do not have a fixed income and might have to work during any time of the day as per the requirement and your business. In this Essay, I will throw light on the reasons why people choose self employment and the drawbacks as well.
People are choosing self-employment as nowadays, people prioritize their mental health over anything and are not ready to unnecessarily entertain the company. As an epitome, Generation Z has taught everyone that mental peace over everything which cannot be achieved while working for a company or an organization. Self employment makes you capable, Independent, strong and confident in many aspects as you learn things all by yourselves. These things cannot be achieved working under pressure or seniors in the companies. I personally believe, being self employed needs a lot of courage and self esteem.
As there is brighter side of being self employed, there are several drawbacks also which I will highlight in this paragraph. As being self employed you hear a lot of feedbacks impacting directly or indirectly on the business and the growth will eventually take a lot of time and energy, they do not have fixed working hours which employed people have. Also, there is not fixed income which will bring fluctuations in your finances as well. Adding further, I think all these issues can be resolved with good self control and sharp mind.
In conclusion, Self deployment have many pros and cons which completely depends on the human and their problem solving skills. I strongly believe, being self employed is a great choice over working in a company or organization no matter what ups and downs come.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for self-employment and the associated disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the explanation of why people choose self-employment relies heavily on general statements about 'mental peace' and 'Generation Z' without providing concrete, real-world examples or deeper analysis. The disadvantages are mentioned, but the discussion remains brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more specific evidence or logical reasoning. The position is clear throughout, but the overall depth of the argument is limited, which is characteristic of a Band 6 response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The main reason is that', 'As an epitome', and 'In conclusion'. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'As there is brighter side of being self employed'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. While the progression of ideas is generally logical, the use of cohesive devices is not always flexible or sophisticated, placing this in the Band 6 range.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some informal or imprecise phrasing, such as 'corporate slave' and 'unnecessarily entertain the company'. There are also some word-choice errors, such as 'Self deployment' (instead of 'self-employment') and 'epitome' used incorrectly in context. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the presence of these errors suggest a Band 6 level. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to business and employment.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout, such as 'as you learn things all by yourselves' (should be 'yourself'), 'there is not fixed income' (should be 'no fixed income'), and 'Self deployment have' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings that slightly impede the flow. While the errors do not prevent communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score to a Band 6. Increasing the use of error-free complex sentences would help improve this score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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