Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-08

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)

Nowadays, competitive job market has been a toll on employment opportunities. Many people choose to be self-employed rather than working for a company or organization due to reasons like minimal job availibility in field of interest and salary prospects. However, the whole idea of self-employment consists of demerits and risks to it which will further be discussed along with the reasons in the essay.

One of the major reasons behind the idea of working for oneself is scarcity of job opportunities. In contrast to increasing graduates there are fewer employment chances in recent years. People investing lacks in education still cannot find a desired designated job with good income. Another reason which comes next is ones lack of interest in corporate sector. The new generation believes in following their passion and building a future on their own terms in an independent manner rather than spending their whole life working for an organization or institute uninterestingly and regretting it later.

For example, Mark Zuckerberg left his graduation study at Harvard to build a software company of his own and today's leads the field with successful Facebook developer.

Although, the whole concept comes out as a development for todays youth it surely comes with disadvantages along its side. One of the major disadvantage involves that there is no guarantee for it to be a successful idea. Many a times, people invest a huge amount of money and time for their startup ideas and fail afterwards losing all the capital to waste. This may lead upto unhealthy mental and physical conditions like depression or fear.

In conclusion, though there are disadvantages to the concept of self-employment , I believe that it is one of the best way a person can lead a successful life if they act wisely and with caution at each step.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for self-employment and the associated disadvantages. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the reasons (scarcity of jobs, passion) are relevant, the explanation of disadvantages is a bit generic. The example of Mark Zuckerberg is relevant but could be better integrated to illustrate the 'why' more deeply. To reach a higher band, ensure that the discussion of disadvantages is as detailed as the reasons, perhaps by exploring the lack of benefits or the instability of income more thoroughly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In contrast to', 'Another reason', and 'In conclusion', which help the flow. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing (e.g., 'the whole idea of self-employment consists of demerits and risks to it'). The progression of ideas is generally smooth, but the connection between sentences could be more sophisticated to avoid a repetitive structure in the body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'scarcity', 'corporate sector', and 'capital', which is positive. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'competitive job market has been a toll' (should be 'has taken a toll') and 'investing lacks in education' (which is unclear). The range is sufficient for the task, but more precise and varied vocabulary would elevate the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'Many a times' (should be 'Many times'), 'today's leads' (should be 'today leads'), and 'one of the best way' (should be 'one of the best ways'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are some awkward phrasings that slightly impede the flow. The writer demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the frequency of minor errors prevents a higher score.

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