Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-15

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 4.5)

When compared to working for a company or organization in the present day, becoming self-employed is more acceptable to a large number of people. This is the case for the reason that it alters our world after it has occurred. To add insult to injury, it possesses both positive and negative aspects, which will be discussed in the following essay.

The first thing to note is that people who are self-employed would rather work for other people, which is the case. The reason for this is that the modern economy is characterized by the presence of large corporations and organizations. Because of this, our economy will begin to undergo transformations if individuals opt to work for themselves rather than for the companies that employ them. In addition, this change might be detrimental to us, but it might also be advantageous to us.

One of the drawbacks of working with other people is that it helps to reduce the cost of production. This is due to the fact that each individual takes on different responsibilities and becomes proficient in them. Additionally, when individuals collaborate with one another, they have the opportunity to gain knowledge from one another, which ultimately leads to an increase in productivity. Subsequently, when the costs were reduced and the production was increased, the profits of businesses increased at a rapid pace. If, on the other hand, people choose to work for themselves, then our nation will no longer enjoy these advantages. As an illustration, during the previous century, society struggled with low levels of productivity. People did not collaborate with one another, which is one of the reasons why this happened. If a single individual makes an effort to manufacture a car, it will require a significant amount of time and effort. On the other hand, if a large number of people begin to assist in the establishment of a company and then collaborate with other individuals, then a car can be manufactured in a single day.

In conclusion, in today's world, a significant number of people are opting to work for themselves rather than working for a company or organization, which is a situation that is not only common but also fraught with numerous drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to address the prompt effectively. The instructions ask why people choose self-employment and what the disadvantages are. However, the essay is largely incoherent, with sentences like 'people who are self-employed would rather work for other people' contradicting the premise of the task. The arguments regarding the 'cost of production' and the 'manufacturing of a car' are irrelevant to the topic of self-employment versus corporate employment. The ideas are not developed logically, and the essay does not provide a clear answer to the prompt's questions, resulting in a failure to address the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The essay lacks a logical progression of ideas. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the internal structure of the paragraphs is confusing. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused, such as 'To add insult to injury' at the start of the essay, which is an inappropriate idiom for this context. Referencing is frequently unclear, and the relationship between sentences is often illogical, making it difficult for the reader to follow the writer's train of thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary is limited and often used incorrectly. Phrases such as 'alters our world after it has occurred' and 'fraught with numerous drawbacks' are used without a clear understanding of their meaning or context. There is significant repetition of basic words, and the lack of precise terminology prevents the writer from expressing complex ideas. The errors in word choice are frequent and occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is poor. There are frequent errors in grammar, such as 'people who are self-employed would rather work for other people' (which contradicts the topic) and 'when the costs were reduced and the production was increased'. These errors, combined with awkward phrasing, make the text difficult to read. While the meaning is sometimes discernible, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.

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

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