Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

In todays's world, a section of soceity choose self employment as compared to working for companies. People feel stress when they are working under someone, but self-employment has some disadvantages .

When indivuals work under someone they feel stress and under pressure. They have take purmission to do every single task, even for taking off they have to ask their boss if they can get holiday for one day. People have to go on time for their work other wise boss will reduse their pay for late coming in office. For example, one of my friend was working with clothes company. one day he was not feeling well and he want late for office and when the pay cheque come he only get 29 days pay . because that day he only work half day.

Working on your own is also many demerits as well. People some time face

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 149 words long. Consequently, the ideas are significantly underdeveloped. While the essay attempts to address why people choose self-employment and mentions disadvantages, the discussion is fragmented and incomplete. The second paragraph focuses almost entirely on the disadvantages of working for an employer rather than the reasons for choosing self-employment. The essay ends abruptly mid-sentence, meaning the second part of the prompt regarding the disadvantages of self-employment is not addressed at all. This results in a very limited response to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The essay lacks a clear structure or logical progression. The paragraphing is insufficient, and the abrupt ending prevents any sense of cohesion. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link ideas; for instance, the transition between the reasons for self-employment and the disadvantages is non-existent. The text reads more like a collection of disjointed sentences rather than a cohesive argument. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall arrangement of information is not logical, making it difficult for the reader to follow the intended line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, often relying on simple, everyday language. There are frequent spelling errors such as 'todays's', 'soceity', 'indivuals', 'purmission', and 'reduse'. These errors, combined with limited word choice, restrict the ability to convey ideas precisely. The range of vocabulary is inadequate for an academic task, as it lacks the necessary flexibility and precision to discuss the topic in a sophisticated manner. The student struggles to use appropriate collocations, such as 'late coming in office', which further impacts the clarity of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that often impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'one of my friend was' and 'he only get'. Punctuation is also problematic, particularly with apostrophes and sentence boundaries. The range of grammatical structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. Attempts at more complex structures are often faulty or incomplete. The frequent errors in basic grammar, such as 'he want late for office' instead of 'he went late to the office', significantly hinder the reader's understanding.

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