Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-20

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)

There is an increasing number of people being self-employed instead of working under a company or organization. It is mainly because it provides job flexibility and high income potential. However this could result isolation and unstable income in long-term.

Majority of people choose to work independently by starting their own business or company. Becoming their own boss offers them flexible working arrangements, which allows them to work at any time from anywhere. Moreover, owning a successful business could possibly lead to a financial freedom and therefore many people start working autonomy to prevent themselves from working all day and earning inadequate salary.

Sometimes, people choose to work independently without considering the negative consequences in a long-term. For instance, not having colleagues to work with could eventually lead to isolation from others people. This has a detrimental effect on the person’s skill for team working and understanding others opinion which is certainly crucial in this economy. Also, not only this but it is not evident that they would have more income than ordinary workers as most of the businesses usually do not succeed as they were estimated at first. For example, the company could start strong by earning adequate amount of profit in the first several months, then the profit could dramatically decrease as the days go or even lead to nonprofits. Therefore, for being self-employed, it is not always true that they can earn more than corporate company employees

In conclusion, to have a flexibility in income and workplace, many people start-up businesses. However, it is unpredictable that if they would succeed or fail in the future or even earn any profit from their company.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the task requirements by discussing reasons for self-employment and potential disadvantages, fulfilling the prompt well. The writer explains how flexibility and income potential appeal to many, while also addressing isolation and instability as drawbacks. However, further development of ideas with specific examples or data statistics could enhance the argument's strength. Overall, the task is adequately fulfilled, earning a score of 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The structure of the essay is mostly clear, with an introduction, main body, and conclusion. However, the use of linking words could be improved to enhance coherence. For instance, phrases like ‘Moreover’ and ‘Also’ could be used more systematically to better connect ideas. The transition between thoughts is somewhat abrupt, so using more connectors or transitional phrases would enhance the flow. Thus, coherence and cohesion earn a 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a good range of vocabulary centered around employment, but some words are used imprecisely or repetitively. Terms like "financial freedom" and "unstable income" are appropriate; however, phrases like "appropriate amount" and "ordinary workers" could be better articulated. Using more varied and precise vocabulary could elevate clarity and depth. For these reasons, the lexical resource score is 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The grammatical structures used in the response display some complexity, and many sentences are correctly formed. However, there are several grammatical errors, such as "result isolation" instead of "result in isolation" and "others opinion" which should be "others' opinions". Additionally, some sentences are awkwardly constructed, impacting clarity. Thus, the grammatical range and accuracy score is 6.0.

Overall feedback

The student has successfully addressed the task requirements by discussing both the reasons for self-employment and the potential drawbacks, showcasing a clear understanding of the topic. The use of relevant examples strengthens the argument but could be expanded further for greater depth. Areas for improvement include strengthening coherence with better use of linking words and enhancing vocabulary variety for clearer expression. Additionally, careful proofreading for grammatical accuracy would benefit the overall quality of the writing. Focus on these areas for further enhancement in future writing tasks.

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