Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-19
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)
Nowadays with the growing technology people choose to be self-employed, instead of being employed in a company.
People are switching to the self-employment because of hectic routine, frustrating environment of the organizations and daily commute for the job. For example I am employed in a company and I have to deal with commuting problems get ready before an hour and wait for the public transport. Afterwards in the office I have to face criticism from colleagues. I have to sit in the office for long 9 hours which makes it hectic and we can not take proper rest additionally it is frustrating and concern for the mental well-being. Moreover with the technology development there are several platforms are working which are making it possible for the people to be self-employed. For example Fiver, Upwork, Freelancer furthermore Linkedin are the platforms which helps to find your clients and sell your services.
There are many disadvantages of freelancers like income uncertainty, internet issues, time management. For instance a person who is working as a freelancer could face income problem like if can not get hired to by any client he will not receive income for his needs. While he was working online he can face internet issues. Online work need proper internet connectivity and if internet disrupts he cannot perform his tasks. Futhermore time management is
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for choosing self-employment and the disadvantages. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of development. While the reasons (hectic routines, commuting) and disadvantages (income uncertainty, technical issues) are relevant, they are not fully extended. The conclusion is missing entirely, and the final sentence is incomplete, which prevents a full development of the argument. To improve, you must expand on your points with more detailed explanations and ensure the essay reaches the required length to allow for a comprehensive discussion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the progression is interrupted by the incomplete final sentence. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover', 'For example', and 'Furthermore', but they are sometimes used mechanically. The referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a concluding paragraph makes the overall structure feel unfinished. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that the essay concludes with a summary of your main points, ensuring the flow is logical from start to finish.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'self-employed', 'hectic routine', and 'income uncertainty', but there is repetition of basic words. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'concern for the mental well-being' (should be 'a concern for mental well-being'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and avoid repeating the same sentence structures or basic vocabulary when discussing similar concepts.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For instance, 'there are several platforms are working' is grammatically incorrect, and 'if can not get hired to by any client' contains errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the lack of commas in complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur frequently enough to impact the flow of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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