Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-17

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)

In contemporary world, people are shifting more towards being self-employed rather than working under some authority. The change is significant as it is fundamentally transforming the structure of a society. This essay will discuss several reasons for this profound transition and provide drawbacks of being entrepreneur.

One of the major reasons of switching as independent worker is self-respect. When people are not valued by their higher authority or even colleagues, then it becomes highly disrespectful to work at the same place for a longer period of time. Moreover, low salary, extensive family responsibilities, an unfulfilling job are other factors that contribute to quitting a company. Sometimes, a person gets bored of doing the same things repeatedly with negligible scope of self-improvement that results in choosing freelancing and working towards a passion.

However, there are few drawbacks of running your own business. For example, If it does not go as planned then people can suffer from financial burden, anxiety or depression. Therefore, due to uncertainty, only person who is hardworking, determined, risk-taking and optimistic can actually its consequences.

To conclude, due to more flexibility of working hours and freedom of adopting strategies of being successful really attracts people to start their own business. Although, working in an organization has its own advantages, but due to toxic culture and work ethics, people are gravitating more towards setting up their own company. I believe being entrepreneur is beneficial for a country's economic growth and building it as a developed nation in world,

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 essay falls slightly short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which impacts the overall development of ideas. While the reasons (self-respect, flexibility) and drawbacks (financial burden, anxiety) are relevant, they are presented in a somewhat list-like fashion without sufficient depth or illustrative examples. The conclusion introduces new ideas that were not fully explored in the body paragraphs, such as 'toxic culture,' which suggests a lack of focus. To improve, you should expand on your points with specific examples and ensure the essay meets the minimum length requirement to allow for full development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover,' 'However,' and 'To conclude.' However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression is occasionally interrupted by abrupt transitions. For instance, the jump from discussing self-respect to 'low salary' and 'family responsibilities' feels rushed. Additionally, the final sentence of the essay is incomplete, ending with a comma rather than a period, which disrupts the coherence of the conclusion. Improving the use of linking phrases and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, unified focus will enhance the overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the reader to understand your main points. You use some topic-specific terms like 'self-employed,' 'freelancing,' and 'economic growth.' However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'switching as independent worker' (should be 'switching to being an independent worker') and 'freedom of adopting strategies of being successful.' The range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic vocabulary. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and ensure that your word choices are natural and contextually accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'only person who is hardworking... can actually its consequences' (missing a verb like 'handle' or 'face') and 'In contemporary world' (missing an article: 'In the contemporary world'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and missing prepositions. While these errors do not completely prevent understanding, they are frequent enough to limit your score. Focusing on proofreading for basic articles, verb forms, and sentence completion will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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