Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-21
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 5.0)
Nowadays people are preferring to work as self-employed than to work for a company or any organization this may have many factors which cause this self-employed working I am discussing here.
This may be due to a very common cause of low incomes for working in any company. A person is working from 9 AM to 5PM for 6 days of a week and he is earning only a small amount which is not enough for fulfilling his bunch of bills that are ready to pay even before the salary hits his account. people are working more than they are earning that's why a person is preferring to work as self-employed so that he can earn any small business, but all earning of the business will be all for him. He also can someday skip his work and no one there to cut his pay.
The main disadvantage of being self-employed is you are the only one person responsible for your profit and loss. if you are not expert in working as self-employed. you will lose and the loss will be all yours which is quite different from working in a company because if a company loses there will be no cut of salary for any employee.
For Example: my cousin started a business of shoes in his village a few years ago, he was working as self-employed and he lose all of his money because people were buying shoes from him on loan. the shop of shoes was also on lease. at the end of this all he had to give money to the owner of the shop and to the person from he was buying shoes. that's why the disadvantage of working as self-employed is very risky
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for choosing self-employment and the disadvantages involved. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The reasons provided (low income in traditional jobs and autonomy) are relevant but could be expanded with more sophisticated analysis. The disadvantages section focuses heavily on a single personal anecdote about a cousin, which lacks the breadth required for a higher band score. To improve, you should aim to provide more generalized, analytical points alongside your examples to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is often interrupted by awkward phrasing and a lack of cohesive devices. Transitions between sentences are frequently missing or repetitive, such as the reliance on 'that's why'. The introduction is quite abrupt and lacks a clear thesis statement. While the progression of ideas is generally understandable, the lack of varied linking words makes the text feel disjointed. Improving the use of transition signals like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'on the other hand' would significantly enhance the readability and structure of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'bunch of bills' and 'earning any small business' are imprecise and unnatural. There is a lack of topic-specific vocabulary related to business or employment, such as 'entrepreneurship', 'financial stability', 'overhead costs', or 'market volatility'. You tend to use simple, everyday language rather than academic or formal register. To reach a higher band, focus on learning collocations and more precise terminology related to the themes of work and economics.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'people are preferring'), incorrect preposition usage, and run-on sentences. There is a lack of complex sentence structures; most sentences are simple or compound with basic conjunctions. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of periods and commas. To improve, focus on mastering complex sentence forms, such as using relative clauses or conditional structures, and pay closer attention to basic subject-verb agreement and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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