Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-16

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 contemporary society most of individuals choose to be freelance instead of to work for some big companies or organisation because they want to be a independent . I firmly believe that both of their own vitals. In this essay I will discuss both viewpoints in upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, the primary reason is that most of human believe that there are numerous benefits to be a self- employed because they want to do any kind of job which they want to do and their is no pressure of anyone in a freelances. For example in most of countries in modern era most of people are doing casual works rather than work in a company. Second reason of choosing a self-employed that is they are running there own business also they can choose there projects, set there hours ,decide a location in which they want to be a work without any pressure and interference.

Furthermore their are various negative signs to be casual. Firstly, one of the main drawback is that people cannot take paid sick leaves because of freelance when they become a ill they cannot do there work in this individual face a lot of loss. For instance research conducted in America there are numerous self-employed and facing a lot of difficulties due to illness. Secondly, there are no retirement funds after completing there job in this way people should job in there old ages.

To sum up, no doubt casual is a beneficial for running own business and no interference and pressure of boss and I also believe that become a independent is good but also there are various disadvantages to be a freelance like there are no retirement funds and they cannot work at there sick time .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for self-employment and the disadvantages. However, the development is limited. While you mention flexibility and autonomy as reasons, and lack of benefits as a disadvantage, the ideas are not fully extended. The introduction is slightly confusing, as the phrase 'both of their own vitals' is unclear and does not clearly state your position. To improve, ensure each paragraph provides a more detailed explanation or a more specific, well-integrated example. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not add new insight. Focusing on depth of argument will help you reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'Second reason of choosing a self-employed that is' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing (e.g., 'in this way people should job') is occasionally unclear. To improve, work on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') more naturally. Ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one to create a smoother progression of ideas throughout the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'bad', and 'various'. There are also frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'casual works' instead of 'freelance work' or 'self-employment', and 'become a ill' instead of 'become ill'. Some words are used incorrectly, such as 'vitals' in the introduction. To improve, focus on learning collocations (words that naturally go together) and avoid repeating the same phrases. Using more academic vocabulary would significantly enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'most of human believe'), incorrect use of articles (e.g., 'a self-employed'), and confusion between 'there' and 'their'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors is high. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, before attempting more complex structures.

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