Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-12

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)

In the modern era, in growing tendency for individual to work as a freeless give the freedom rather than working with companies. i will explain the reason and disadvantages of self -employed in upcoming paragraph.

One of the main reasons why people not intrested to work in organisation some people claim that they not have opportunities to seek promotion in their work. In other words working under right time schedule is fixed salaries , employees feeling bored and unmotivated,. In contrast , many people believe that self - employed give individuals freedom, and strength. For example , in America lot of people left their company job and join work like painter , illustrator and accounting. In reality , doing allows to people to have more leisure time to look after their family and recharged their energy. As a result , individuals like to do self employed work.

Neverless , there are several difficulties when it comes to self- employement, people feel stress, financial challenges and initial stage of work. For example when people run their own busines they faces many problems first of all they feel stress becuase they have burden of the business , arranged employeses salaries and financial resources in the business is quit risky . Some young people take loan for run the business but they fail to recoup their investment, as the result bankcrupt soon. AS a result , run own business has diadvantages.

In conclusion, working with own business give people freedom and strenght, nonetheless it cause many problems like financial challenges and stress.

AI examiner evaluation

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. While you mention 'freedom' and 'financial challenges,' the arguments lack depth and specific, well-explained examples. For instance, the example of people in America joining work as 'painter, illustrator and accounting' is vague and does not clearly illustrate the transition or the specific benefits. To improve, ensure that each point is fully extended with a clear explanation of 'why' or 'how' rather than just listing ideas. The position is clear, but the overall task response is limited by the lack of detailed supporting evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'Neverless' (spelling error) and 'As a result' are used repetitively. Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, making the flow feel disjointed. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'doing allows to people,' where the subject is missing. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one to create a smoother progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'work,' 'people,' and 'problems.' There are several instances of incorrect word forms and collocations, such as 'freeless' (likely meant 'freelance'), 'bankcrupt' (spelling), and 'run own business.' The range is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but there is little evidence of less common lexical items or an awareness of style. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific collocations related to employment and business, and pay closer attention to word forms (e.g., 'self-employed' vs. 'self-employment').

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement ('people not intrested,' 'they faces'), missing articles ('in America lot of people'), and sentence structure ('doing allows to people to have'). While there is an attempt to use complex sentences, they are often faulty, leading to confusion. The punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring subjects and verbs agree, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect verb tenses.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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